An MLC accused the Quayle administration of having no appetite for local authority reform.

David Cretney made the comment in Tynwald last week after Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas gave a somewhat equivocal statement about rates modernisation.

Mr Thomas told the court that the Bill is scheduled for the next parliamentary year.

He said: ’A consultation on the extension of the rates modernisation scope, and other principles and issues which have not already been the subject of consultation, will be launched no later than February 2019.

’This consideration will be joined up with local authority transition investigation. I expect to be able to bring a full plan to this court for debate by May 2019.’

Mr Cretney said he wasn’t sure what Mr Thomas was talking about.

He said: ’It seems to me that this administration has no appetite for local authority reform, where substantial savings could be achieved by amalgamation of local authorities.

’Is he talking about that? What is he talking about in terms of local authority transition? Is he just talking about the soft approach which has been adopted to date?’

Lawrie Hooper (LibVan, Ramsey) asked for clarity. He said: ’To me, this statement is very well written but it is a very clever way of saying "This is not going to happen during the life of this Tynwald because of all the following reasons".

’I would just like as firm a commitment as the Minister can give us that this will be progressed in the next parliamentary year, even extending into the year after but it will happen during the life of this Tynwald.’

The Minister replied that a seven-point plan was being prepared for the debate in May.

He said: ’A great deal has already been achieved in terms of modernising local authorities by this administration and that will continue.

’There is a great deal going on in this soft approach that is leading to local authority modernisation.’

Mr Hooper said: ’I often think he confuses making bold statements with actually taking action.

’My concern is he still has not provided clarity. Rate reform, whilst linked to local authority reform, is not dependent on local authority reform.’