LGA in Parliament 2013/14

The national voice of local government View from LGA President Lord Best

Over the last year, the Local Government Association (LGA) has campaigned on a wide range of issues in Parliament from local government funding to protecting the future of social care. Indeed, nowadays barely a sitting day goes by without reference to the LGA’s work in both Houses.

We have had some key wins on crucial legislation. The Children and Families Act originally gave the Secretary of State the power to remove all local authorities from adoption recruitment and assessment. The LGA’s strenuous efforts campaigning against this clause were successful when the Government curtailed the power.

Our lobbying on the Local Audit and Accountability Act resulted in flexibility for councils to procure their audit nationally, resulting in an estimated saving to the public purse of more than £200 million over five years. We also secured a commitment from central government that the new care system brought in under the Care Act would be fully funded.

Meanwhile, we are campaigning for amendments to the Deregulation Bill, removing the housing borrowing cap, localising Right To Buy and consolidating licensing legislation.

We will continue to monitor the legislative and political agenda and, as ever, we will keep on speaking up for local representatives and residents in these tough times.

Finally, I am more than grateful to our Vice-Presidents for their invaluable support.

2 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 View from LGA Chairman Councillor Sir Merrick Cockell

Our aim at the LGA has always been not just to talk but to do, not just to discuss possible solutions but to put them into practice.

This is why Parliament is so important to us. Our President Lord Best and our Vice-

Presidents are our champions in this process of turning theory into practice. Day after day, alongside a number of supportive MPs and Peers, they are the ones getting local government through the doors of our national parliament, defending local government on the floor of both Houses and putting local government in the pages of legislation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for all their work over the years.

Without their energy and commitment, the legislative results we have seen in recent years would be simply unthinkable. Working alongside our officers, supporting MPs and Peers with tailor-made briefings, our Vice- Presidents are the ones helping to make change happen.

The achievements contained in this document are proof that our “Rewiring Public Services” campaign is working, that we are making real change where it counts. Each of the successes contained in these pages is another victory for local representatives and residents around the country. I hope that our progress so far will inspire us for the future.

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 3

A Year in Parliament

As a result of our work and that of our We are indebted to our Vice-Presidents who, Vice-Presidents, the LGA was referenced on with their extensive knowledge and experience 1263 occasions in the House of Commons of local government, were our first port of and on 412 occasions in the House of Lords call when looking to further our campaigning in the last 12 months. activities.

Throughout the year, the LGA has sought This short report showcases a selection of opportunities to raise issues important to our campaigning work and achievements in local government, enhance its reputation 2013-14. and improve the legislation which affects it. This was achieved through meetings with MPs, briefings for debates and parliamentary questions, campaigning on legislation, giving written and oral evidence to select committees and organising events bringing together parliamentarians and LGA councillors.

July 2013 saw the launch of Rewiring Public

Services, an LGA campaign setting out how public services can be transformed through local leadership by rebuilding democratic participation, fixing public services and revitalising the economy. The recommendations in Rewiring Public Services, against the backdrop of forty per cent cuts in local government funding over the current spending review, formed the basis of our campaigning activity for the party conferences and the rest of the year ahead.

We also campaigned in and around Parliament across the range of policy areas with which local government is concerned: children and young people; community safety; culture, tourism and sport; economy and transport; environment, planning and housing; finance; health, wellbeing and adult social care and localism.

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 5 Influencing legislation on behalf of our member councils

Over the last year, the LGA has campaigned, The Local Audit and with significant success, to influence and inform legislation, working with Vice-Presidents Accountability Act 2014 and other parliamentarians, on: • The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 has three components: to establish new arrangements for the auditing of local public The Children bodies (abolishing the Audit Commission), and Families Act 2014 to provide the Secretary of State with further legal powers to enforce compliance with • The Children and Families Act 2014 covers the Code of Recommended Practice on adoption and contact, family justice, children Local Authority Publicity and to extend the and young people, Special Educational referendum provisions introduced in the Needs (SEN), child care and child welfare. Localism Act to include levying bodies when The LGA’s campaigning focussed on the setting the limit by which council tax can clauses in the Bill relating to adoption and be raised before a council needs to hold a SEN. referendum. • An adoption clause gave the Secretary of • We supported amendments to the Bill State the power to remove all local authorities which sought to introduce the option of a from adoption recruitment and assessment. national body for procuring audit, remove We briefed Peers and civil servants on the or significantly alter the provisions to allow concerns with this clause and suggested central government to further interfere amendments. Our efforts were successful with how councils communicate with when the Government curtailed the power, their residents and extend council tax accepting an amendment to the clause referendums. which requires an active debate and vote in both Houses of Parliament before • Our lobbying secured an amendment to the its use. This was in addition to an earlier Act allowing flexibility for councils to procure concession delaying its implementation until their audit nationally should they wish to do 2015. so. Independent modelling shows that central procurement and appointment • We also campaigned for changes to the SEN would save the public purse more than clauses and the Government made a number £200 million over a five year period when of changes to the Bill which included compared against local appointment. clarifying legal duties about the social care needed by disabled children and improving For more information on this Act, and our the arrangements for those in youth custody related campaigning activities, see Get in on who need SEN provision. the Act: Local Audit and Accountability Act 2013. For more information on this Act, and our related campaigning activities, see Get in on the Act: Children and Families Act 2014.

6 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 The Care Act 2014 us to look at how money lost might be recycled back into the LGPS for the • The Care Act 2014 will enable the benefit of all scheme employers, and this consolidation of existing adult social care work is due to start soon. law and the modernisation and simplification of what is currently a complex legal system. • We broadly supported the proposals in the The Deregulation Bill Act as it passed through Parliament, working • The Deregulation Bill seeks to make provision with a network of supporters in Parliament for the reduction of burdens resulting and in partnership with the Association of from legislation for businesses or other Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) organisations or for individuals, for the repeal and the Care and Support Alliance to of legislation which no longer has practical highlight the concern that inadequate use and about the exercise of regulatory funding would jeopardise its good intentions. functions. We suggested amendments which sought to provide reassurance that the new care • As well as suggesting amendments on system will be adequately funded and create household waste and Right to Buy, we are a national body responsible for the system of using the Bill as an opportunity to press the deferred payment agreements as a way of Government on housing issues. For example, helping councils manage potential financial by pursuing amendments which would and reputational risks. remove the housing borrowing cap, localise retention of Right to Buy receipts and the • The work, which achieved cross-party setting of Right to Buy discounts and ensure support, secured a firm commitment from a Government review of all current licensing central government that the new system regulation placed on local government. Many will be adequately funded. We will continue of these proposals gathered cross-party to scrutinise the costs of the reforms as more support in the House of Commons and we detail emerges and will hold the Government will pursue similar amendments during the to account if the funding proves inadequate. House of Lords stage when the Bill will carry over into the 2014-15 session of Parliament. The Pensions Act 2014 • The Pensions Act 2014 introduces a single- tier state pension system from April 2016, bringing much needed simplicity to the system. However, the Act stands to place a significant financial burden on local authorities through the ending of contracting out for public service pension schemes, including the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and the LGA’s campaigning around the Act focussed on this. • We expressed concern to Peers, the Treasury and the Department for Work and Pensions and the LGA suggested amendments to mitigate against the financial losses involved. As a result of the pressure on the Government, a roundtable event was held to discuss the matter in more depth and officials agreed to work with

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 7 The Consumer Rights Bill

• The Consumer Rights Bill aims to clarify and simplify consumer rights while making sure consumers are better informed and better protected.

• We offered substantial written and oral

evidence during the pre-legislative stage

focused particularly on proposals in the Draft

Bill which would have restricted the ability

of trading standards officers to undertake

unannounced inspections where there are

reasonable grounds to do so. As a result

of this work, we welcomed Government

amendments to the Bill which ensured

that the investigatory work of trading

standards officers would not be hampered

by the legislation once enacted.

• We continue to monitor the Bill’s progress through Parliament and it is expected to carry over into the 2014-15 session.

In addition to the above, we worked on the:

• Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014

• Transparency of Lobbying

• Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Act 2014.

We are also continuing to work on the Criminal

Justice and Courts Bill.

8 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 Debates and Questions

Each week our public affairs team monitors the spending by country and region, all forthcoming Westminster business, looking for three of the devolved Administrations opportunities to raise issues of importance on have higher public spending per head the floor of both Houses of Parliament, thereby giving local government a voice. This can be of population than that of any English by briefing for opposition day or Westminster region, including London.” Hall debates in the Commons or for a debate Speaking in the same debate, the former LGA or question for debate in the Lords. If MPs or Chairman Baroness Eaton (Conservative) said: Peers are asking relevant Oral Questions of Ministers, we provide information which they “I strongly support the could use to illustrate their question. recommendation made by the Local Our position on local government issues is Government Association that the regularly quoted in debates and at question Barnett formula should be scrapped, times, including Prime Minister’s questions. and I call on the Treasury to start Keeping local government issues alive in evaluating the alternatives.” Parliament helps central government to In June, the House of Lords debated the understand the challenges it faces, the importance of art to the economy. Our report, impact of centrally imposed policy on local Driving Growth through Local Government government and differences in local need Investment in the Arts, was drawn on several across the country. times during the debate. Earl Clancarty Particular highlights in 2013-14 include: (Crossbencher) highlighted the impact of the cuts to local government on local culture and: In December LGA Vice President Lord Shipley (Liberal Democrat) led a debate on the “The chilling prediction given by ‘Government’s plans to review the Barnett the LGA that, by 2020, 90 per cent Formula in the light of the Local Government of our local cultural services will Association’s recommendation that it be be lost if cuts continue in the same replaced with a new needs-based funding model’. Peers from across the political divide vein…when many local councils are supported our position that the formula is unfair becoming more switched on to the and in need of reform. Lord Shipley said: importance of their arts and cultural industries.” “As the Local Government In a debate in October on local authority Association chairman, Sir Merrick funding, our financial modelling and Cockell, said recently, it is ‘a historic recommendations for the fiscal sustainability relic’. He is right, because it has and stability of local government were quoted locked inequalities into its system extensively. The Chair of the Communities and of distribution. The consequence is Local Government Committee Clive Betts MP that in terms of identifiable public (Sheffield South East, Labour) said:

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 9 “The Local Government Association, In a debate on the Queen’s Speech in May on whose figures I believe are the housing shortage, LGA President Lord Best accurate — it is a cross-party, (Crossbencher) said: Conservative-led group — states “Now is the time to harness the that in the course of this Parliament, lending capacity of councils, which Government funding to local used to match the output of the government will be cut by 43% in private sector and build half the real terms, which is more than twice country’s new housing, by removing the level of cuts experienced across the unnecessary cap on their government as a whole. Why is that? prudential borrowing for housing I hope the Minister will respond to purposes, as the LGA is advocating. that question.” This would enable local authorities to In February, in a debate on the local finance the building of some 60,000 government finance settlement, the former extra homes, mostly on land that they DCLG Minister Hazel Blears MP (Salford and already own, without the need for Eccles, Labour) commended Rewiring Public subsidy.” Services, saying: In a debate on apprenticeships, Lord Young of “It talks about more devolution, Norwood (Labour) recommended the Minister more co-location, a five-year funding read the LGA’s briefing and quoted at length settlement, fair sharing of resources from it: across England, bringing all the “The Minister should take a look at government departments in England the briefing provided by the Local together, wider revenue-raising Government Association. The briefing powers, and municipal bonds. That is says that the current system is not the kind of innovation and creativity working for 16 to 19 year-olds. The that we need.” number of under-19 apprenticeship The Shadow Schools Minister Kevin Brennan starts rose for a bit, but then declined MP (Cardiff West, Labour) highlighted the over the past couple of years. It LGA’s analysis of the school place shortage goes on to say that the increase in during Oral Education Questions in March. He asked the Schools Minister David Laws MP apprenticeships can largely be seen (Yeovil, Liberal Democrat): in only a small number of sectors that are generally associated with low “The Local Government Association skills. It also talks about instances of recently warned that there is a need large employers using apprenticeship to create 130,000 new places by funding to subsidise training for 2017-18. It also warned that, because existing employees, and issues with of the Minister’s ideological insistence leading apprenticeship contractors that these places have to be in free effectively exploiting their workforce.” schools and academies, they will not be created where they are actually needed. On what evidence does he believe that community schools and local decision making are always bad?”

10 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 In the debate at Report Stage on the Care Bill in March, the former Health Minister Paul Burstow MP (Sutton and Cheam, Liberal Democrat) said:

“New clause 9 reflects the concern of a remarkable coalition of interests outside this place, including the Local Government Association, the Care and Support Alliance, hundreds of non-governmental organisations, directors of social services and chief executives, and many more besides. They all want to serve notice on the Government that they are concerned about the serious impact that the continuing pressure on local government spending will have on the ability of councils to deliver the care and support that everybody in this House wants to be delivered under the Bill.” Robert Neill MP (Bromley and Chislehurst, Conservative), speaking in a debate on financial sustainability in local government expressed his support for the work of the LGA: “We should move away from the high levels of dependency that local government in this country has on central Government bail-out. There are things we could do. I hope we will not only increase the local share of the retained business rate and therefore reduce dependency on central Government grant, but work with the Local Government Association to deliver a genuinely sustainable market in municipal bonds, which holds real opportunities, particularly for big cities.”

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 11 Select Committees and other Parliamentary Inquiries

In 2013-14, we submitted written evidence • Justice Select Committee to more than 30 Select Committees for their • Public Administration Select Committee inquiries on topics ranging from the Census to Sure Start Centres to parking enforcement • Transport Select Committee and the Emergency Services. In each case, • Work and Pensions Committee the LGA felt the subject of the inquiry was relevant to local government and presented Highlights for 2013-14 include: an opportunity to put forward the concerns • Cllr Sir Merrick Cockell (LGA Chairman) and interests of local authorities to Committtee giving evidence to the Communities and members. Local Government Committee inquiry into Through our work, elected members and fiscal devolution in March. Sir Merrick made officers were invited to appear as witnesses the case for fiscal devolution to cities, city before select committees on 24 occasions; the regions, counties and county regions, committee members having decided that they based on functional economic areas and would benefit from hearing further evidence governed by local structures that make from the LGA and local government. sense for and are chosen by the area.

In addition, LGA members also represented the • Cllr Sharon Taylor (Chair, LGA Finance Panel) organisation at inquiries held by cross-party giving evidence to the Work and Pensions parliamentary groups led by parliamentarians, Committee for their inquiry on support for such as All-Party Parliamentary Groups, on housing costs in the reformed welfare system issues relevant to their collective interests. in December. Cllr Taylor drew particular attention to the increased costs to local Last year, LGA members and officers authorities of providing homelessness appeared before: services and the acute shortage of low cost accommodation and the need • The All-Party Commission on Physical to alleviate this by lifting the housing Activity borrowing cap further. • Communities and Local Government • Cllr Peter Box (Chair, LGA Economy and Committee Transport Board) giving evidence to the • The Cross-party Inquiry on Youth Transport Select Committee in January for Unemployment the ‘Better Roads’ inquiry into the Strategic Roads Network (SRN). Cllr Box argued that • Education Select Committee the current model of funding needs to be • Energy and Climate Change Committee reformed as Government spends millions • Environmental Audit Select Committee more on the 2 per cent of the network controlled by the Highways Agency, which • Environment, Food and Rural Affairs carries a third of all traffic, than on the 98 Committee per cent of the network which carries the • Health Select Committee rest and is controlled by local authorities • Home Affairs Select Committee

12 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 • Cllr Mike Jones (Chair of the LGA • Cllr Sir LGA Chairman Sir Merrick Cockell Environment and Housing Board) gave oral (LGA Chairman) gave evidence to the evidence to the Environment, Food and Rural Communities and Local Government Select Affairs Committee which was investigating Committee on community budgets, saying the flooding over the Christmas period. Cllr that any area should be able to “decide Jones described how councils provided that they simply want to get on with it, and immediate support for communities hopefully Government, where necessary, during the period, their partnership will break down the barriers to make sure working with neighbouring councils it is possible.” In the Committee’s report, and the Environment Agency and future the Select Committee Chair Clive Betts MP funding needs for flood defences. was positive about the benefits of community budgets and believed that “they offer a • Cllr Katie Hall (Chair of the LGA Community vital lifeline to local authorities grappling Wellbeing Board) gave evidence to with increased demand for services and the Health Select Committee on public reductions to their budgets.” expenditure on health and social care. The LGA gave evidence on the same subject to the Committee in 2012, describing real pressures and inevitable service reductions as a result of wider cuts to local government funding. The evidence given in 2013 depicted a worsening situation, with more spending reductions for local government and similar significant financial difficulties for the NHS, highlighting the importance of funding as adult social care budgets are tested to their limit.

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 13 Events

In June 2013 we organised five lunchtime We proactively sought speaking opportunities roundtable discussions with LGA Vice- for LGA councillors at the three main party Presidents to discuss the core themes behind political autumn conferences in 2013, working the Rewiring Public Services campaign. with a huge range of stakeholders who were These lunches were held on a cross-party organising events. In total, we secured 105 basis, with Parliamentarians gathering to speaking platforms at the Conservative, Liberal discuss one of the following subjects: welfare Democrat and Labour Party conferences, each reform; economic growth; independent local of which was used by the LGA to promote government; social care and sustainable the interests of members and talk about the funding for local government. The Chairman recommendations in Rewiring Public Services. and other leading LGA members led the discussions. The feedback from Vice- Presidents who attended was very positive and we will be holding a series of similar events in summer 2014.

Once again, we were very active ourselves at the party conferences, holding receptions at all three which were well attended by member councillors and featured high profile party speakers such as Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP and Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP. We also held a public fringe event at the Liberal Democrat conference on Rewiring Public Services. Chaired by Mayor Dorothy Thornhill (Deputy Leader of LGA Liberal Democrat Group), the Liberal Democrat Parliamentarian panellists at the event included: Rt Hon Don Foster MP (Minister for Communities and Local Government); LGA Vice-President Lord Shipley; Annette Brooke MP (Co-Chair of Liberal Democrat backbench Communities and Local Government Committee) and Cllr Ruth Dombey (Leader of the London Borough of Sutton).

14 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 In November 2013 the LGA held a Smith The LGA’s Annual Parliamentary reception Square Debate: The Big Debate: Can local was held in February 2014 with more than public services be rewired?, which was free 200 councillors, MPs and Peers attending, to attend. Mayor Dorothy Thornhill chaired the including front bench representatives from all event and speakers included LGA Chairman Cllr Sir Merrick Cockell, John Redwood MP (Chair of the Economic Affairs sub-group of the 1922 Committee), Andy Sawford MP (Shadow Minister for Local Government) and Ben Page (Chief Executive of Ipsos Mori). Ninety-seven councillors, officers and stakeholders attended and heard the panel’s views on the recommendations in Rewiring Public Services on how best to meet future funding challenges.

We also organised two roundtable events to discuss adult social care. The first was held in October in Parliament and chaired by Shadow Secretary of State Andy Burnham MP, with the Shadow Minister Liz Kendall also present. Attendees included senior local government officers and members. The second was held three political parties and our Vice-President, in December at Local Government House and Lord Best. Steve Reed OBE MP (Labour, senior local government officers and members Shadow Home Office Minister and former contributed to Sir John Oldham’s commission Deputy Chair of the LGA) hosted the reception into the future of care with Sir John and and addressed attendees, alongside Secretary members of his team present. of State Eric Pickles MP (Conservative), Baroness Bakewell (Liberal Democrat) and the LGA Chairman Sir Merrick Cockell.

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 15 A look ahead from LGA Chief Executive Carolyn Downs

Lobbying and influencing Parliament is one of our members’ top priorities. As a result, it is really important that we are able to make use of our valuable network of cross-party Vice- Presidents and our own political group offices to give us a strong voice in both Houses of Parliament.

Through our detailed briefings, MPs and Peers are able to make the case for local government by taking part in debates and tabling amendments to bills and questions. In addition, we are able to ensure that councils are represented at select committees on any issue which is relevant for local government. Indeed, if you find yourself called to give evidence to a Select Committee, we will ensure you are fully briefed ahead of your evidence session.

Our work often starts long before and much of what we do goes on behind the scenes and is therefore often unnoticed. This has included significant work to influence and shape the party manifestos as we head towards the General Election in 2015. At this year’s LGA Annual Conference, we will be outlining our vision for the next government and the steps needed from day one to deliver services and transform the lives of local residents and their families.

16 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 LGA Vice-Presidents

Every year the four political groups at the Lord Beecham (Labour) LGA invite parliamentary representatives Baroness Smith of Basildon (Labour) from the House of Commons, House of Lords and European Parliament to be LGA Lord Smith of Leigh (Labour) Vice-Presidents who are then appointed by the General Assembly, usually in July. Vice- Richard Howitt MEP (Labour) Presidents generally have an association with Derek Vaughan MEP (Labour) local government and champion it keenly in their day-to-day work. Gordon Birtwistle MP (Burnley, Liberal Democrat) The support given to us by our Vice-Presidents in 2013-14 was invaluable and we would like to Annette Brooke MP (Mid Dorset and Poole take this opportunity to thank them all: North, Liberal Democrat)

President, Lord Richard Best (Crossbench) Julian Huppert MP (Cambridge, Liberal Democrat) Stewart Jackson MP (Peterborough, Conservative) Baroness Barker (Liberal Democrat) Henry Smith MP (Crawley, Conservative) Lord Greaves (Liberal Democrat) Charles Walker MP (Broxbourne, Conservative) Baroness Maddock (Liberal Democrat) Heather Wheeler MP (South Derbyshire, Lord Shipley (Liberal Democrat) Conservative) Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat) Margot James MP (Stourbridge, Conservative) Edward McMillan Scott MEP (Liberal Democrat) Baroness Eaton (Former Chair of the LGA, Catherine Bearder MEP (Liberal Democrat) Conservative) Lord Alton (Crossbench) Lord Jenkin Of Roding (Conservative) Lord Bichard (Crossbench) Philip Bradbourn MEP (Conservative) Baroness Greengross (Crossbench) Julie Girling MEP (Conservative) Baroness Howarth (Crossbench) Heidi Alexander MP (Lewisham East, Labour) Lord Ouseley (Crossbench) Clive Betts MP (Sheffield South, East Labour) Lord Walpole (Crossbench) Louise Ellman MP (Liverpool Riverside, Labour) Lord Adebowale CBE (Crossbench) Ian Mearns MP (Gateshead, Labour) Keith Taylor MEP (Crossbench) Andy Sawford MP (Corby, Labour) Lord Laming (Crossbench) Steve Reed MP (Croydon North, Labour) Earl of Lytton (Crossbench)

LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 17 Glossary

All-Party Groups: Groups of MPs and Peers Draft Bill: Some government bills are issued who share a particular interest in a subject in draft to allow for some scrutiny to take or country and hold meetings related to their place before they are formally introduced shared interest. into Parliament. A Draft Bill is considered by a select committee, often a departmental Backbench Business Committee: select committee, whose members have some The Committee meets weekly to hear specialised knowledge of the bill’s subject representations from MPs for debates in area. This process is known as ‘pre-legislative backbench time. The committee can consider scrutiny’. any subject for debate, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns, but an MP Opposition Day: Opposition days are days must make the case for their consideration. allocated in the House of Commons in each session for the discussion of subjects chosen A Bill is a proposal for a new law, or a Bill: by the Opposition. There are 20 days allocated proposal to change an existing law, that is for this purpose per session and the Opposition presented for debate before Parliament. Bills generally uses them to raise questions of are introduced in either the House of Commons policy and administration. or House of Lords for examination, discussion and amendment. When both Houses have Oral Questions: Oral Questions are questions agreed on the content of a Bill, it is presented that are tabled by an MP or Member of the to the reigning monarch for approval (known Lords in person or by another MP or Member as Royal Assent). Once Royal Assent is given a acting on his or her behalf. An MP or Lord Bill becomes an Act of Parliament and is law. may table only one Oral Question on behalf of another for each minister each day. Crossbencher: Independent Peers in the House of Lords are often called Crossbenchers Questions for short debate: In the House of or Crossbench Peers. They do not belong Lords a Member may ask a question at the to either the Government party or one of the end of the day’s business, or during the dinner Opposition parties and by tradition sit on the break, and allow a short debate ending with a benches that cross the chamber of the House government reply. of Lords. Royal Assent: Royal Assent is the Monarch’s Debates: A debate is a formal discussion of agreement to make a Bill into an Act of a specific proposal (motion) in the House of Parliament. The Monarch actually has the right Commons or House of Lords. Members take to refuse Royal Assent but nowadays this does it in turns to speak and there are rules and not happen and the Royal Assent is a formality. conventions that are followed. Debates can be read in the Official Report (Hansard) which is the edited verbatim report of proceedings in both Houses.

18 LGA in Parliament – 2013/14 Select Committee: Select committees are committees set up by either House, usually for a whole Parliament, to look at particular subjects. In the House of Commons the select committees examine the expenditure, administration and policy of each of the main government departments and associated public bodies. Select committees have the power to take evidence and issue reports. In the House of Lords, select committees do not mirror government departments but cover broader issues such as science and technology, the economy, the constitution and the European Union.

Westminster Hall debates: The House of Commons also sits in an additional room just off Westminster Hall. This gives more time for individual MPs to raise issues of importance to them with a series of debates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The Thursday sitting is frequently used to debate select committee reports and other general business.

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