I, too, wrestled with subsection (7) when it was presented to me by the parliamentary draftsmen. I knew what I wanted. I tried to find out whether it was in the clause. I was assured that it was, and that it was not possible to reduce the wording.

The purpose of subsection (7) is to require a district council affected by the Bill to postpone exercising its option over whether it should have whole council elections or elections by thirds until after 1st July 1974, by which date the new councils—provided that the House allows us to have the Bill in a short time—will have been elected under the Bill. It is clearly wrong that a council should be able to exercise this important option before it has on it the councillors for whom the Bill provides. All that we are doing is saying to the district council, "Hold your hand. There are more councillors coming on to your council who will want, perhaps, to make their voices heard on whether in future there should be whole council elections or elections by thirds." For that reason we are saying that any resolution before those new councillors come on to the council should be ineffective.

But, as the hon. Gentleman will see, as recompense for that we have extended the period in which that option can be made. It does not have to be made until 1st January 1975, so between 1st July 1974 and 1st January 1975 the council can decide whether it shall have in future whole council elections or elections by thirds. That means that the new councillors will be there to make their voices heard in any debate on that subject.