PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT (25 June 1997)

That this House welcomes the Government's decision to sign the European Charter of Local Self-Government; believes that this is an important and symbolic first step towards building a new relationship between central and local government; notes that in the last session of Parliament the House of Lords Select Committee on Relations Between Central and Local Government published a report Rebuilding Trust (HL 97 of Session 1996-97) which made a number of important recommendations, including a new statutory power of local competence, enabling an authority to act in the interests of the local community within the limits of financial prudence but without a need to be certain that no other powers are available; believes that such an approach is preferable to central government placing further specific duties on local government; and calls on the Government to re-examine the House of Lords Select Committee Report in the light of its stated commitment to inclusive government and publish its response in order to signal a willingness to reinforce and strengthen the role of local government in the United Kingdom as a vital part of a pluralist democracy.

Sponsored by:
Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat)