Several weeks ago the leaders of various Black Country local authorities, including Dudley, signed an agreement to combine with Birmingham to form what they stated would not be a Greater Birmingham; but of course will be.

In examining the process by which this decision was reached a House of Lords committee has expressed great concern over the manner of public consultation and the proposal for a Greater Birmingham Mayor.

The report contains the following crucial paragraphs.

In January and February of this year, the constituent councils carried out a three-week online consultation on the proposal to set up the WMCA. In our view, allowing only three weeks for responses is too short a period; and we are concerned that on-line only consultation exercises may disadvantage sections of the community who either do not have access to computers.

In their summary of the consultation, the constituent councils have stated that setting up a Combined Authority had no bearing on whether in future there was to be a Mayoral Combined Authority. We fail to understand how the Department for Communities and Local Government can describe this statement as “wholly accurate”.

In our view, the councils’ assertion is ambiguous and raises questions about how well the proposals will have been understood by respondents.

Perhaps these politicians who have decided what’s best for the people of the Black Country could inform us just what is so important to them in their little political world that they don’t want to hear from those of us who inhabit the wider real one?

Meanwhile, anyone with any doubt that the new authority will not be known as ‘Greater Birmingham’ should read the Birmingham papers which, frequently and without any distinguishing notation; already refer to the proposed region as such.

Nick Baker Amblecote