My Lords, I thank the Minister for his reply. We agree with the Government about the progress of city deals thus far. However, the amendment is about completing arrangements so that councils that feel left out at the moment can be reassured that a process is under way, a requirement on the Government to report back. It does not require the Government to produce exactly the same solution for every council; it recognises that there will not necessarily be arrangements for absolutely every council in the land. We are trying to ensure that councils that at the moment feel uneasy about the concentration on urban areas, and are feeling left out, are reassured. If the Deputy Prime Minister says that that is a step along the way, that is fine, but why not accept the amendment, which imposes an extra obligation on the Government to make sure that what has happened so far is just a step along the way?
Having heard the Minister’s reply, and not wishing to divide on an issue where we have some fundamental agreement about the core cities programme, I think the Government are unwise not to accept this fairly modest request for a further obligation to look across the piece. Accordingly, I would like to test the opinion of the House.