Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill [HL]

Lord Scriven Excerpts

Wednesday 15th July 2015 Lords Chamber

As to the chair of an overview and scrutiny committee, government Amendments 52 and 56 make provision, again, to ensure the independence of an overview and scrutiny committee. Amendment 52 would provide on the face of the Bill that the chair of an overview and scrutiny committee for a combined authority must be one of two categories of person: either an independent person; or, in the case of a mayoral combined authority, a member of a constituent authority who is not of the same political party as the mayor or, in the case of a non-mayoral combined authority, a member of a constituent authority who is not of the same political party as the biggest party of the combined authority. The definition of independent will be provided in secondary legislation and ensure that any such person is recruited by the combined authority through open and fair processes. In the case of any particular combined authority, an order can specify what option for the scrutiny committee chair—independent person or constituent council member—is to be adopted. Alternatively, this can be left as a matter for local choice, to be exercised at any time the authority sees fit. Government Amendment 56 provides the appropriate definitions. I believe that these amendments deliver the intention that the noble Lords, Lord Shipley and Lord Scriven, sought to achieve in Amendment 54.

[Lord Scriven (LD)]

I welcome the Minister’s reply but I would like to go away and reconsider what she is suggesting. In my own personal experience, open competition or advertisement has been made for independent chairs of a number of committees on which I have sat in South Yorkshire, including for the fire authority. It turned out that the independent members—when further scrutinised after appointment by the majority party—all, interestingly, had a link back to that majority party. While I appreciate that what the Minister is saying is reasonable, in practice I have on at least three occasions seen it not to be reasonable. I ask her to really consider the whole process relating to independent members and how, in a one-party state, to stop such members being linked to the majority party—either the mayor’s party or a combined authority party.

[Lord Ashton of Hyde (Con)]

I remind noble Lords about the rules on Report: we should not introduce new matters and nobody should speak after the Minister, except for matters for elucidation.