The response of a few scribes in the media has been ambiguous. Some have said that on the one hand the Minister and the Government flagged something huge and on the other hand all we get is this. It is clear to me they do not know what they want or, if so, they want to be the moulders of progress and evolution in local government. As the Minister has rightly said, the sensible approach is to take one further step, that is, to separate national politics from local authority politics. The plans he has in train will prove significant and effective in the further development of local government. I welcome the commitments the Minister has put on the record today as being sensible, logical approach and well-staged towards what he has ultimately in mind. I shall comment on that later.