Under the terms of the 1973 Act such a resolution requires two thirds of a council to vote at a specially convened meeting, which is only appropriate for a matter of such importance. This Bill corrects an anomaly and gives recognition to the culture and tradition of our people. I commend the Bill to your Lordships. My Lords, I certainly welcome the Bill and congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Gray, on the thorough and complete way that he introduced it. The noble Lord lives in Taynuilt and I have a brother who lives in the Manse of Kilmelford, so Argyll matters are brought to my attention.
Local authorities are very dear to the heart of Scottish people.
They are proud of their achievements and resent assaults upon them. I am very proud of the achievements of Clackmannanshire Council and I shall speak about it later. There is dismay at the putting of personal consumption before service provision, especially in education. I cite the rise in class sizes in that respect. They were supposed to be safeguarded by the Union Treaty.