Upcoming Events :
Housing Seminar: Partnerships with the Public Sector – Avoiding the pitfalls
Thu 31 May 2012
Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9BB
Winckworth Sherwood Parliamentary team win in Parliamentary hearing on whether the Local Government Bill was hybrid
Mon 12 Jul 2010
Acting as Government Agent, Winckworth Sherwood partner and Parliamentary Agent Alison Gorlov obtained an historic victory at a packed hearing in Parliament, convincing specially appointed Examiners that the Local Government Bill was not hybrid. The Bill, introduced by the new Government, revokes Orders made in the dying days of the Labour administration, which conferred unitary status on Norwich and Exeter City Councils. The Bill also prevents similar proposals being taken forward for Ipswich City Council and Suffolk County Council.
This is the first occasion in almost 35 years that legislation has been referred to the Examiners to determine hybridity. The last time this happened, the Aircraft & Shipbuilding Industries Bill was judged as hybrid in 1976. Alison Gorlov had more success on this occasion.
The reference was made following a vote on a motion moved by Labour peer Lord Howarth. The question of hybridity is a complex legal issue and turns on whether legislation treats certain private interests differently from others in the same class. A ruling that the Bill was hybrid would have jeopardised its speedy passage through Parliament.
The Examiners met on 23 June 2010 and, following both verbal and written submissions by Alison Gorlov, determined that the Bill is not hybrid. The Bill is now back on track and should become law before the autumn.
