Member

If the Minister’s response is not helpful to my proposal, it is my intention to test the opinion of the House, because this has become such a fundamental issue. So I move this amendment with a request to the Government: they need to empower communities. We are about to have much bigger local councils and are about to remove power from people in local areas, as there is upwards mission creep to mayors. The Government must take action to enable the mayors and existing local authorities to devolve powers to towns and parish councils. I beg to move.