House of Commons Hansard Debates for 4 Jul 1996 (pt 21)

The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Mr. Gary Streeter): And grammar schools.

Mr. Jamieson: The hon. Gentleman mouthed the words "grammar schools" to me. I remind him that, some years ago, when he was a member of the Tory city council, the Conservative county council closed six grammar schools in Plymouth.

I shall not detain the House, except to say that the city has been served by excellent officers and councillors over the years. In particular, I pay tribute to the current leader of the council, Councillor John Ingham--a local man of understanding and vision. He has the respect of the local community. We can all look forward to the elections next year with confidence. This is truly a challenge for the councillors, for the officers and for the people of Plymouth.

6.59 pm

Mr. Alan Simpson (Nottingham, South): I did not anticipate that I would speak in this debate whole-heartedly in support of the comments of the Secretary of State for the Environment, the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal, and so profoundly in disagreement with the comments of the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Rendel)--the House never fails to contribute to my education. In terms of this playing into the hands of the Liberal Democrats and allowing them to concentrate their fire, I wish that the hon. Member for Newbury had asked the two Liberal members of the council in Nottingham what their advice might be. I suggest that it would have been that their Front Benchers could best help if they did not concentrate their fire on their own troops, who support the change.

I welcome this long overdue change. Nottingham is the largest city in England that is currently administered under a two-tier system of local government, and it has been in the pipeline of review and re-review longer than any other city. It would be a travesty if hon. Members did not understand that this change of status is in the interests of a devolved system of local government, and of restoring the credibility and value of local government. Nottingham hopes to lead the way in showing what devolved local government can do.

Yesterday, the House decided to return the stone of destiny to Scotland. It is entirely appropriate that today the House will, I hope, decide to return the seat of authority to a unitary council in Nottingham. In Nottingham, the city council has already established the momentum to provide better co-ordination of its services

4 Jul 1996 : Column 1111

and to guarantee local people a more open and accountable system of local government. I hope that the change to unitary status will allow it to deliver that in ways that the public can understand. As someone who served as a county councillor for a city ward for eight years, I know that local people do not understand the difference between the two separate authorities. I hope that the basis of that misunderstanding can be swiftly removed when the change is brought about.

I urge those on the Front Benches--who have co-operated on this issue--to look more widely at the challenge that they are now posing to devolved and unitary local government in the years ahead. I hope that they will listen to the calls of local authorities which have said that it is about time we got rid of the doctrine of ultra vires. I hope that they will also look at local government in other parts of Europe, where local authorities are assumed to have powers of general competence. I hope that they will look at models in Scandinavia, where local authorities are deemed to be able to function as municipal enterprises. These are the challenges that local government will have to face in the decades to come if they are to respond to the demands of their local population.

I pay tribute to the leader of Nottingham council, Graham Chapman, and to the other councillors who have contributed to the pressure for reorganisation and the restoration of unitary status to Nottingham. I also pay tribute to the local authority staff--both the city and the county--for working towards the transfer process. I am sure that all hon. Members would urge the two local authorities involved to work constructively to provide a seamless transfer of front-line public services to that unitary authority--no one will benefit if that does not occur.

This should not be dismissed as an undesirable change; it should be seen as a change that is long overdue. The change will be welcomed by the people in Nottingham, whose arguments were not necessarily about unitary status but about whether the boundaries of a redefined Nottingham should be enlarged--we may or may not return to that issue in the future.

I welcome these changes. If we can get the local authorities to work in harmony with the order--which will, I hope be passed tonight--we will ensure that the city that is the "Queen of the Midlands" then has the rightful throne restored, from which it can reign.

7.5 pm

Mr. Bernard Jenkin (Colchester, North): I apologise to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) for not being present in the Chamber earlier.

I shall address the concerns of a few of my constituents in relation to motion No. 4 on the Order Paper--the changes to the boundaries between Colchester and Tendring in my constituency. The proposal to move Dene Park in Wythenhoe from the district of Tendring into the borough of Colchester, with the rest of Wythenhoe, is supported in Wythenhoe and in the borough and the district concerned.

The problem concerns two roads--Keeler's lane and Alresford road--which are just outside Wythenhoe. During the consultation, they were considered to be part of Dene Park, so when the residents were asked whether they wanted Dene Park to be transferred they assented

4 Jul 1996 : Column 1112

because they did not consider themselves to be in Dene Park. When they were transferred out of the district of Tendring and into the borough of Colchester, they expressed concern. Unfortunately, that concern was expressed to me too late in the process for the boundaries to be altered and for the order to be changed.

I fully understand the restraints that Ministers face in this respect. However, I ask my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to record for posterity that, when these matters are considered again, the residents of these two roads would very much like to be taken back into the Tendring district. The Conservative party believes deeply in there being authorities in which people feel they belong. Although this is a minor matter in the scheme of things, these people feel slighted by what has happened. We must do our best to restore order in this matter next time it is considered.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That the draft Cambridgeshire (City of Peterborough) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996, which was laid before this House on 12th June, be approved.

Motion made, and Question put,

That the draft Cheshire (Boroughs of Halton and Warrington) (Structural Change) Order 1996, which was laid before this House on 12th June, be approved.--[Mr. Brandreth.]

The House divided: Ayes 195, Noes 17.

Division No. 170 [7.07 pm

AYES

Ainsworth, Peter (East Surrey)
Aitken, Rt Hon Jonathan
Alison, Rt Hon Michael (Selby)
Allason, Rupert (Torbay)
Allen, Graham
Amess, David
Anderson, Ms Janet (Ros'dale)
Arbuthnot, James
Arnold, Jacques (Gravesham)
Atkinson, David (Bour'mouth E)
Atkinson, Peter (Hexham)
Baker, Nicholas (North Dorset)
Baldry, Tony
Banks, Matthew (Southport)
Bates, Michael
Bellingham, Henry
Bermingham, Gerald
Booth, Hartley
Bottomley, Peter (Eltham)
Bowis, John
Boyson, Rt Hon Sir Rhodes
Brandreth, Gyles
Brazier, Julian
Bright, Sir Graham
Brooke, Rt Hon Peter
Brown, N (N'c'tle upon Tyne E)
Browning, Mrs Angela
Bruce, Ian (South Dorset)
Burns, Simon
Burt, Alistair
Butler, Peter
Butterfill, John
Carlisle, John (Luton North)
Cash, William
Channon, Rt Hon Paul
Chapman, Sir Sydney
Clappison, James
Clarke, Rt Hon Kenneth (Ru'clif)
Colvin, Michael
Congdon, David
Conway, Derek
Coombs, Anthony (Wyre For'st)
Coombs, Simon (Swindon)
Cope, Rt Hon Sir John
Couchman, James
Deva, Nirj Joseph
Devlin, Tim
Dobson, Frank
Dorrell, Rt Hon Stephen
Dover, Den
Duncan, Alan
Duncan Smith, Iain
Durant, Sir Anthony
Dykes, Hugh
Elletson, Harold
Evans, David (Welwyn Hatfield)
Evans, Jonathan (Brecon)
Evans, Nigel (Ribble Valley)
Faber, David
Fabricant, Michael
Fenner, Dame Peggy
Field, Barry (Isle of Wight)
Fishburn, Dudley
Flynn, Paul
Forman, Nigel
Forth, Eric
Fowler, Rt Hon Sir Norman
Fox, Dr Liam (Woodspring)
Fox, Rt Hon Sir Marcus (Shipley)
Freeman, Rt Hon Roger
French, Douglas
Gallie, Phil
Gardiner, Sir George
Garnier, Edward
Gill, Christopher
Gillan, Cheryl
Goodson-Wickes, Dr Charles
Gorst, Sir John
Greenway, Harry (Ealing N)
Greenway, John (Ryedale)
Griffiths, Peter (Portsmouth, N)
Grocott, Bruce
Grylls, Sir Michael
Gummer, Rt Hon John Selwyn
Hall, Mike
Hamilton, Rt Hon Sir Archibald
Hampson, Dr Keith
Hawkins, Nick
Hawksley, Warren
Heald, Oliver
Heathcoat-Amory, Rt Hon David
Hendry, Charles
Higgins, Rt Hon Sir Terence
Horam, John
Howell, Rt Hon David (G'dford)
Hughes, Robert G (Harrow W)
Hunt, Sir John (Ravensbourne)
Hunter, Andrew
Hurd, Rt Hon Douglas
Jack, Michael
Jamieson, David
Jenkin, Bernard
Jessel, Toby
Jones, Robert B (W Hertfdshr)
King, Rt Hon Tom
Kirkhope, Timothy
Knapman, Roger
Knight, Rt Hon Greg (Derby N)
Knight, Dame Jill (Bir'm E'st'n)
Lait, Mrs Jacqui
Lawrence, Sir Ivan
Lennox-Boyd, Sir Mark
Lidington, David
Lilley, Rt Hon Peter
Lord, Michael
Luff, Peter
Lyell, Rt Hon Sir Nicholas
MacKay, Andrew
Mackinlay, Andrew
Malone, Gerald
Martin, David (Portsmouth S)
Mawhinney, Rt Hon Dr Brian
Meale, Alan
Mellor, Rt Hon David
Merchant, Piers
Mills, Iain
Mitchell, Andrew (Gedling)
Mitchell, Sir David (NW Hants)
Moate, Sir Roger
Nelson, Anthony
Neubert, Sir Michael
Newton, Rt Hon Tony
Nicholls, Patrick
Nicholson, David (Taunton)
Norris, Steve
Ottaway, Richard
Page, Richard
Patnick, Sir Irvine
Pawsey, James
Pickles, Eric
Pike, Peter L
Porter, Barry (Wirral S)
Powell, William (Corby)
Prentice, Bridget (Lew'm E)
Quin, Ms Joyce
Rathbone, Tim
Robathan, Andrew
Robertson, Raymond (Ab'd'n S)
Roe, Mrs Marion (Broxbourne)
Rowe, Andrew (Mid Kent)
Sackville, Tom
Sainsbury, Rt Hon Sir Timothy
Scott, Rt Hon Sir Nicholas
Shaw, David (Dover)
Shaw, Sir Giles (Pudsey)
Shersby, Sir Michael
Simpson, Alan
Sims, Sir Roger
Speed, Sir Keith
Spellar, John
Spencer, Sir Derek
Spicer, Sir Michael (S Worcs)
Spink, Dr Robert
Sproat, Iain
Squire, Robin (Hornchurch)
Steen, Anthony
Straw, Jack
Streeter, Gary
Sweeney, Walter
Sykes, John
Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)
Taylor, Ian (Esher)
Taylor, Sir Teddy (Southend, E)
Temple-Morris, Peter
Thompson, Patrick (Norwich N)
Townsend, Cyril D (Bexl'yh'th)
Trend, Michael
Twinn, Dr Ian
Vaughan, Sir Gerard
Vaz, Keith
Viggers, Peter
Waldegrave, Rt Hon William
Walden, George
Waller, Gary
Waterson, Nigel
Watts, John
Wells, Bowen
Whittingdale, John
Widdecombe, Ann
Willetts, David
Winterton, Mrs Ann (Congleton)
Winterton, Nicholas (Macc'f'ld)
Wood, Timothy
Yeo, Tim
Young, Rt Hon Sir George

Tellers for the Ayes:

Mr. Sebastian Coe and
Mr. Patrick McLoughlin.

NOES

Alton, David
Banks, Tony (Newham NW)
Campbell, Menzies (Fife NE)
Carlile, Alexander (Montgomery)
Chidgey, David
Davies, Chris (L'Boro & S'worth)
Harvey, Nick
Hughes, Simon (Southwark)
Jones, Nigel (Cheltenham)
Kennedy, Charles (Ross,C&S)
Maclennan, Robert
Michie, Mrs Ray (Argyll & Bute)
Nicholson, Emma (Devon West)
Rendel, David
Skinner, Dennis
Taylor, Matthew (Truro)
Tyler, Paul