Member

However, we cannot accept this amendment for several reasons. First, local authorities already have clear statutory duties regarding allotments. District, unitary and parish councils have a duty to provide allotments where there is sufficient demand and acquire land if necessary. They also benefit from long-standing protections. Statutory allotment land cannot be disposed of without the consent of the Secretary of State. Tenants also receive security of tenure and compensation rights under the 1922 and 1950 Acts. These duties form a comprehensive legal framework for the provision and protection of allotments at the local authority level. Secondly, the amendment would place operational burdens on combined authorities—bodies that do not own or manage allotments—and the publishing requirements would duplicate duties that sit with local authorities. Thirdly, combined authorities are intended to operate at a strategic level, not to take on detailed service-level responsibilities already covered by existing legislation. Finally, the amendment would create an unfunded new burden on combined authorities, against our commitment to ensure that new devolved responsibilities remain deliverable and do not impose avoidable costs or duplicate existing statutory frameworks.