§ 3. Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes)What assessment he has made of the level of public support for the direct election of mayors in English towns. [54327]
§ 6. Mr. Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley)What assessment he has made of the level of public support for the direct election of mayors in English cities. [54330]
§ The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Mr. John Prescott)On 7 May, the people of London gave a resounding 72 per cent. yes vote in favour of a directly elected mayor. Our local government White Paper proposals will give people everywhere the opportunity to say, in a referendum, whether they want a directly elected mayor.
§ Shona McIsaacI welcome the proposals to have directly elected mayors in English towns and cities. Does my right hon. Friend have proposals that will go further towards supporting English towns and cities?
§ Mr. PrescottAs my hon. Friend knows, the Select Committee on the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs unanimously called on the Government to produce an urban White Paper. I intend to publish such a White Paper next year. It will describe how the Government will enable our towns and cities to prosper and to offer a better quality of life to all who live in them. In other words, it will facilitate more sustainable communities. Vibrant and attractive towns and cities complement thriving rural areas, but we shall pay separate attention to the specific issues affecting rural areas. I shall make an announcement on that shortly.
§ Mr. StringerMy constituents and those who live in urban areas throughout the country will welcome my right hon. Friend's statement on an urban policy White Paper. They will also welcome the opportunity for communities to elect mayors, which will lead to direct improvements in those communities. That stands in stark contrast to virtually every announcement made by the previous Conservative Government, which led to life being worse in the inner cities and in urban areas. Will my right hon. Friend tell us how the urban policy White Paper will add to the initiatives already taken?
§ Mr. PrescottThe urban White Paper will take a more comprehensive view of the quality of life in towns and cities. It will show how the many initiatives that we have already taken will fit together, and will link with work on issues such as education, training, crime reduction, regional development agencies, planning, transport, housing and others. All these will contribute to ending social exclusion and to building sustainable communities.
In answer to a written question, I shall give more details later today, and the House will have an opportunity to debate these issues on Thursday.
§ Mr. Adrian Sanders (Torbay)All that has nothing to do with accountability, which is reduced if power is put in the hands of one person rather than being shared among a group of councillors. The idea of elected mayors does not address the fundamental question of public disengagement with local decision making. Only proportional representation could do that. What representations has the right hon. Gentleman received against the idea of elected mayors?
§ Mr. Prescott"PR" also seems to stand for please return to the same old question. The hon. Gentleman must know that our proposals leave councils' budget and policy decisions totally with the councils. We have received very few representations against directly elected mayors.
§ Mr. Richard Ottaway (Croydon, South)While the debate on elected mayors continues, will the right 1065 hon. Gentleman encourage councils not to indulge in excesses like those of Labour-controlled Hammersmith and Fulham, whose newly created executive mayor has been declared unlawful? Under Conservative pressure, the mayor's £40,000 allowance has been halved. His efforts to streamline procedures have resulted in agendas of 250 pages, and in one case of 750 pages. The number of meetings has increased, not decreased. Is that an example of how to modernise local government?
§ Mr. PrescottOur proposals for local authorities are clear. We want to give people the opportunity to have directly elected mayors. Our local authority White Paper makes clear exactly how we want to distribute decision making, budgets and accountability. The White Paper has been well received in the country, and we intend to implement it.
§ Mr. Gordon Prentice (Pendle)Elsewhere in the European Union, where there is experience of directly elected mayors, is it not the case that men seem to be disproportionately represented? Given that we shall not have a regional list system, because people will stand to be the directly elected mayor of Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh or wherever, what reassurance can the Secretary of State give that there will be even representation of the sexes when we move to having directly elected mayors?
§ Mr. PrescottThat is an important point, but, as democrats, we rely on the good sense of the electorate.