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Plans for a Community Empowerment Bill have been scrapped by the CLG, LocalGov's sister title, The MJ, has learned. In a further blow to beleaguered communities secretary, Hazel Blears, the department has ditched proposals to take forward those parts of the Empowerment White Paper which failed to make it into the Local Democracy Bill. A spokesperson for the CLG said the department was still committed to ‘putting greater power in the hands of local communities', and the Local Democracy Bill – which is currently making its way through parliament – would implement some of the measures from the White Paper. ‘Given the wide-ranging nation of the Local Democracy Bill, we have decided not to introduce a Draft Community Empowerment Bill. However, we remain in close contact with councils and other interested parties on how best to implement the remaining measures.' Plans dropped include: * remote attendance and voting by councillors * payments for councillors on loss of office * voting incentives for local elections. Community empowerment has been the pet project of Ms Blears – who has faced a troubled fortnight following the MPs' expenses rows and publicity over her criticism of the use of social networking sites to communicate, which was taken as a thinly-veiled attack on the prime minister.

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WHITEHALL

Planned local government Bill axed

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