Localism Bill moves to committtee stage
Localism Bill second reading - briefings
NAVCA outlined concerns around the Localism Bill in a briefing sent to MPs for last Monday’s second reading in the House of Commons.
We are particularly keen to see safeguards for the right of local people to challenge service delivery; this should not result in unfair commissioning and procurement advantages for large national and private sector delivery organisations, at the expense of local service providers.
During the debate, shadow communities secretary Hazel Blears called for “unequivocal confirmation” that the community right to challenge local service delivery would not be changed to enable commercial organisations to take over services for private profit.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has also produced a briefing, welcoming the devolution of powers from central to local government, but challenging the bill’s lack of clear commitment to a “post-bureaucratic” form of localism.
- LGA briefing (requires log-in)
Localism Bill in Committee
After a remarkably lively second reading debate in the Commons, the Localism Bill is now in its Public Bill Committee stage.
Voluntary & community sector groups and members of the public may submit evidence to the committee to influence the provisions and wording of the bill.
Not just ‘communities of place’…
‘Virtual’ and ‘causal’ communities, as well as geographical communities, will be able to make use of the new powers defined in the Localism Bill, according to Greg Clark, minister for decentralisation, reported in Civil Society.
By ‘virtual’, the minister is understood to mean those geographically dispersed communities of identity, need or interest who are linked by means such as meetings, newsletters, campaigns and online networks.
24 January 2011
