Presence recorded
From Mr Adrian Sanders, MP Sir: Shelagh Shepherd's otherwise excellent article (Parish slump', 3 August) on New Labour's attitude to parish councils was spoilt by an inaccuracy.
She wrote that when the subject was debated in Westminster Hall in March, a handful of Conservative Members complained that only one Labour backbencher (and not a single Liberal Democrat) attended.
Not only was I present throughout the debate, but Hansard diligently recorded my contribution for posterity.
The Liberal Democrats value grass-roots democracy as a principle, and support corn munity-level government whether in the shires or the inner city.
During the debate I repeated a point I had made earlier in committee, that the unpopular new code of conduct for parish councillors ought not to apply to parish and town councils with a budget below £500,000. Following Liberal Democrat pressure during the passage of the Local Government Act 2001, such councils were exempted from New Labour's 'Best Value' regime.
Adrian Sanders Liberal Democrat Local Government & Housing Spokesman,
House of Commons, London SW1
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