Member

Let me turn to hyper-local councils, particularly for the benefit of the Bill Committee members who will be missing such comments. Town and parish councils create community identity and get things done. In my area, Wareham town council is currently busy buying a vacated bank to create an amazing museum of Purbeck, including a special section on Lawrence of Arabia. In Bere Regis, the parish council operates the village bus, ensuring that villagers can get to the town at least once a week. The town and parish councils of Wimborne, Colehill, Upton, Lytchett, Corfe Mullen and Pamphill are working together to find a solution to the dangers of Julian’s bridge, and Holt parish council is supporting homes around the heath to recover and secure their homes from the recent wildfires. Yet this Bill completely ignores their importance. Amendments 50 and 53 to 56 would ensure there is an obligation to consult them prior to their area being pulled into a foundation authority, or being added to a new or existing combined authority. Ministers have suggested that this would create too much bureaucracy, but I disagree, and so do my town and parish councils. These amendments simply seek to enshrine the value of these statutory bodies in the devolution process.