North Yorkshire County Council hits back at ‘dilution of democracy’ criticisms

A council overseeing sweeping changes to local government in North Yorkshire has hit back at criticism of the proposed overhaul, saying it would represent the biggest strengthening of democracy in generations.

Leading members of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive dismissed claims that hundreds of elected community representatives on district and borough councils are set to be replaced by just two councillors on a mayoral combined authority, saying the two levels of local government were not comparable.

Concerns were initially raised by the county’s borough and district councils over residents’ representation ahead of proposals for a single unitary authority being agreed.

Recent weeks have seen opposition members repeatedly highlight how proposals to create a new tier of local government in a mayoral combined authority for North Yorkshire and York include plans to have two decision-making members from the county and two from the city, alongside an elected mayor.

The proposals being consulted on this autumn would make the county, with a population of more than 600,000, and York, which has more than 200,000 residents, equally represented on the mayoral combined authority.

Speaking ahead of a public consultation over the proposed devolution deal as part of the changes, a number of councillors have stated the overhaul would erode residents’ ability to shape key decisions.

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Earlier this month Independent councillor John McCartney, who represents Osgoldcross, said many residents engaged in local democracy felt “irked and discombobulated” as their local councils were being swapped for a remote one in what he described as “a power grab” by County Hall in Northallerton.

However, it is understood senior North Yorkshire figures are comfortable with the disparity in representation as they are keen to foster a partnership with their York counterparts, and believe a fair balance will be struck by the elected mayor.

The authority’s deputy leader, councillor Gareth Dadd, told a meeting of the executive yesterday claims that the devolution deal would lead to “a dilution of democracy and that the world as we know would cease to exist” were far from reality.

He said:

“In my view it is an absolute strengthening of democracy.

“I suspect a mayoral election will take place in 2024 and the 800,000 good folk of York and North Yorkshire will have the ability to make a choice about who is actually heading up the spending of that extra money that was decided its course in Westminster, County Hall and the Guildhall.

“It will be the biggest strengthening in democracy, in my view, that we have seen in generations for this part of the world.”

Executive member for climate change and customer engagement Councillor Greg White added while the extra funding and greater discretion over the spending of public money from devolution in North Yorkshire and York was to be welcomed, the real prize would be in having an elected mayor who could deal directly with government.

Report says North Yorkshire mayor will ‘promote local democracy’

A review of proposed sweeping changes to local government in North Yorkshire and York has concluded having an elected mayor and a combined authority “will promote local democracy”.

The claim, in a report to a meeting of North Yorkshire County Council’s executive on Tuesday, comes ahead of an eight-week public consultation over the devolution deal that local authorities have struck with the government alongside local government reorganisation.

Concerns have been raised repeatedly by councillors in North Yorkshire that the substitution of the county’s district, borough and county councils for a single unitary council and a mayor-led combined authority will erode residents’ ability to shape key decisions.

Earlier this month, Independent Cllr John McCartney said many residents engaged in local democracy felt “irked and discombobulated” as their local councils were being swapped for a remote one in what he described as “a power grab” by county hall in Northallerton.

Independent group leader Cllr Stuart Parsons described the potential substitution of hundreds of district and borough representatives for two North Yorkshire and two City of York councillors on a combined authority as a blow for democratic representation and decision-making.

Green Party group coordinator Cllr Andy Brown said devolution “did not appear to be a great exercise in democracy” in the county.

However, the officer’s report to the executive highlights how local government reorganisation was a prerequisite of devolution, which under the proposed deal would bring £540m of new government investment to spend on local priorities.

The report states: 

“The deal means that decisions previously taken centrally would now be taken closer to the people affected and the region is not disadvantaged as other regions acquire their own devolution deals.

“The proposed mayoral combined authority will promote local democracy through direct democratic accountability. The introduction of a directly-elected mayor will enable a greater focus for change that will seek to enhance economic growth.”

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The county council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said the consultation would see the authority argue very strongly that the devolution deal would see more decision-making by locally elected politicians, rather than civil servants and ministers in Whitehall.

He said while much of the structure of local government in North Yorkshire would not change, the most notable differences would be having an elected mayor to act as a strong voice for the county and city and a combined authority to provide strategic decision-making.

Addressing concerns over local democracy, Cllr Les said while all residents would continue to a locally elected councillor to represent them, the council was in talks with a number of parish and town councils about what services they would like to have jurisdiction over.

He said there was “nothing on or off the table” in terms of the powers towns and parishes could take on.

MPs watch: energy costs and sewage controversy

Every month the Stray Ferret tries to find out what our local MPs have been up to in their constituencies and in the House of Commons.

In August, Parliament was not sitting as it was in recess over the summer. Nonetheless, Conservative MPs faced questions over what the government was doing to tackle the cost of living crisis and allegations that they voted voted in favour of pumping raw sewage into rivers and the sea.

We asked our three Conservative MPs, Harrogate & Knaresborough’s Andrew Jones, Skipton and Ripon’s Julian Smith, and Selby and Ainsty’s Nigel Adams if they would like to highlight anything in particular that they have been doing this month, but, as usual, we did not receive a response from any of them.

Here is what we know after analysing their online presence.

Andrew Jones, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Andrew Jones

In Harrogate and Knaresborough, here is what we found out on Mr Jones:

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Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Julian Smith, MP for Ripon and Skipton.

Julian Smith

In Skipton and Ripon, here is what we found on Mr Smith:

Nigel Adams, Mp for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

Nigel Adams, MP for Selby and Ainsty which includes rural Harrogate.

Nigel Adams

In rural south Harrogate, here is what we found on Mr Adams:

Eight-week consultation to be held on creating North Yorkshire mayor

An eight-week public consultation looks set to start in October asking people in North Yorkshire if they support devolution and the election of a mayor.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will be asked to agree to the consultation when it meets on September 6.

It will also be asked to pay an initial £600,000 to cover the costs of the consultation exercise and other early implementation costs.

If devolution goes ahead, it will lead to the creation of a combined authority for North Yorkshire and York and the election of a mayor for the region.

A draft deal was signed on August 1, which is Yorkshire Day, in York. The 32-page document promised £540 million over 30 years and more devolved powers over skills, transport and energy.

Now councillors are being asked to move to the next stage of the process.

Councillor Carl Les, the Conservative leader of the county council, hailed the deal as “life-changing for the region’s economy”, adding:

“I have been a huge supporter of the devolution of powers and money from Whitehall to the Town Hall and of local-led decision making set against our own priorities.

“I have no problem in recommending the acceptance of the draft deal and of asking my executive colleagues to agree a public consultation.”

Earlier this month, the Liberal Democrats in Harrogate and Knaresborough called for a public vote on the deal saying it gave too much power to one person. 

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If the consultation is agreed, it will run through the autumn and close before Christmas.

York and North Yorkshire councillors will then consider the results and make a decision on a submission back to the UK government in the spring.

The current timeline then outlines the formation of a combined authority for the region in winter 2023, with the public electing a mayor in May 2024.

The deal can be found on the Government’s website, here.

The executive paper can be read here.

 

 

Consultation into Harrogate town council starts today

A consultation has started today into plans to set up a Harrogate town council.

North Yorkshire County Council is to launch a review into whether to create a lower tier authority in the town.

Harrogate Borough Council will no longer exist from April 1 when the new unitary authority, North Yorkshire Council, is created.

It will leave both Harrogate and Scarborough as the only areas of the county with no parish authority.

The unparished areas of Harrogate include these current county council divisions:

Bilton and Nidd Gorge

Bilton Grange and New Park

Coppice Valley and Duchy (part)

Fairfax and Starbeck

Harlow and St Georges

High Harrogate and Kingsley

Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate (part)

Oatlands and Pannal (part)

The Stray and Hookstone

Valley Gardens and Central Harrogate

Residents can give their views in the consultation online. It will close on September 30.

Cllr David Chance, executive member for corporate services, said: 

“Parish and town councils have always had a key role in representing the needs of their communities, and will have even greater opportunity to do so – as well as to take on greater responsibilities if they so wish – with the formation of the new North Yorkshire Council in April.

“As two of the county’s major centres of population, it’s vital that Harrogate and Scarborough have this opportunity and I would urge people to look at the consultation and have their say.

“At this stage, no firm proposals are being put forward. Depending on the response to this consultation, a further consultation on detailed proposals could follow.”

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The county council is due to send letters to residents in Harrogate informing them of the consultation.

Copies of the consultation will also be available from:

You can fill in the consultation online here.

What is a town council?

Town and parish councils run services such as community centres and play areas, as well as maintaining bus shelters. Councillors are elected to serve on them but they are not paid.

The councils can also charge a precept as part of council tax bills to fund the services provided, meaning there is a cost to the people they serve.

In the Harrogate district, there are town councils in areas such as Ripon, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Kirby Hill.

Because Harrogate does not currently have a lower tier council, it also raises questions over what its boundaries would be.

North Yorkshire devolution concentrates power into ‘hands of few’

A mayor and combined authority for North Yorkshire would centralise power into “the hands of a few”, say opposition councillors.

The county and York are set to elect a mayor in May 2024 as devolution plans press ahead.

It comes as ministers signed off this month on a £540 million deal to devolve powers to North Yorkshire, which will include a combined authority.

But opposition councillors have raised concerns that the move will concentrate power centrally, rather than be more democratic.

Philip Broadbank, a Liberal Democrat county councillor who represents Fairfax and Starbeck, said there would be a “democratic deficient” across the county if plans go ahead.

He said:

“Unfortunately next April we will be living in the fourth largest council in the whole of the UK. This will put a real strain on the word ‘local’ when dealing with the way council services are provided.

“We do not think a mayor for North Yorkshire is true devolution or right for our area.  

“All the Conservatives are doing is creating a democratic deficient by concentrating power in the hands of a few – that’s where the real problem is going to be for our local democracy.”

Ahead of electing a mayor for the county, a combined authority could be set up next year. A combined authority is a body where two or more councils make joint decisions.

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In this case, the upcoming North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council would come together to make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.

Four councillors from each authority will sit on the mayor’s executive, should it wish to operate on such a system.

Conservative Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, previously said that such a body would help the county have “one voice” when it comes to dealing with government.

He described the ability to devolve “wide-ranging decision powers” to the county as a “huge opportunity”.

But Cllr Stuart Parsons, an independent councillor on the county council, said the move would mean no “democratic accountability or election”.

Cllr Parsons added that he was concerned that the public had not been asked whether they wanted a mayor.

He said:

“All in all there will be little if any democratic input into our future.

“Devolution should mean the devolving of powers away from the centre but NYCC is heading towards the creation of a much bigger centre.”

Council leader: Devolution will bring benefits to county

In response to the concerns raised by opposition councillors, Cllr Les said:

“The move to a new single council for North Yorkshire presents a landmark for local democracy in the county.

“It will allow us to provide vital local services to the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in North Yorkshire as efficiently as possible, streamlining operations and saving millions of pounds that will be used to finance these frontline services.

“North Yorkshire County Council will merge with the seven district and borough councils in the county, and we are working very closely with our colleagues in these authorities.

“We are fully engaged with them as we move towards the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council on April 1 next year, and the expertise and experience of our colleagues in district and borough councils is proving an invaluable asset. “

He added:

“A new chief executive has now been appointed to serve the new council following a recruitment process that was opened up nationally.

“Richard Flinton was deemed to be the best candidate to become the new chief executive, which is testament to his drive, commitment and passion that he has shown during his time at North Yorkshire County Council.

“The move to a unitary authority was a stipulation of the government to secure devolution for North Yorkshire.

“Now that a proposed devolution deal has been announced for York and North Yorkshire, we are committed to ensuring that the agreement works for everyone to bring a host of benefits from better paid jobs, more career opportunities and improved education and skills to better transport links and more affordable housing.”

Strayside Sunday: Is the £540m Devolution Deal good enough?

Strayside Sunday is our political opinion column. It is written by Paul Baverstock, former Director of Communications for the Conservative Party. 

This week my former colleague Greg Clark, then Director of Policy for the Conservatives, now Secretary of State for the tongue-twisting Levelling Up, Communities and Local Government signed-off and handed down North Yorkshire & York’s much anticipated devolution settlement.  The 32-page document awarded the area £540m over the next 30 years, along with devolved powers to help the region develop the skills, housing, and transport infrastructure it needs.  Whether this represents, as the government claims, “a once-in-a-generation chance to help tackle regional inequalities by not only reducing the North South divide nationally, but also helping to resolve economic differences that are being felt between urban and rural area,” remains to be seen.

What we do know is that the money comes with the promise that we’ll get a Combined Authority, likely next year, with an elected Mayor to follow in 2024.  This must be a good thing, with the shining examples of Tees Valley’s Ben Houchen and the West Midland’s Andy Street demonstrating the positive leadership possibilities an elected Mayor can bring.  Both have used the special powers of the office to create special purpose Mayoral Development Corporations to buy land and assets to drive local economic regeneration and employment, to great effect.  Houchen famously returned Teeside Airport to public ownership and, just this week, Street announced Birmingham as the new home for a large portion of the BBC’s production capabilities, testament to investments made in vital property infrastructure. Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire’s elected Mayor, still relatively new in post, is yet to find her feet.

Whether or not North Yorkshire’s Mayor is a success will rest on strength of personality and imagination. Will they have the vision, communication skills and drive to push the limits of their newfound powers and make the most of them?  Let’s hope so.  They’ll need to be more persuasive than North Yorkshire Council’s representatives who made the bid for devolution.  Last week’s settlement was significantly less than the “ask”.  £750m over 25 years had been requested, versus the £540m over 30 years received.  Net, the new Mayor will have £18m per year to spend on their agenda, rather than the £25m per year hoped for.  The bid also hoped for £47m to redevelop the much-maligned Harrogate Convention Centre.  Much to Harrogate Borough Council Leader Richard Cooper’s disappointment this was turned down flat – with Westminster civil servants giving a “very strong steer” it would not be funded and should not be part of the devolution settlement.  The money for that will now have to be found from other means, with an application to Boris Johnson’s Levelling Up Fund in the works.  The Convention Centre’s future remains uncertain, not least because with the coming change in Conservative Party leadership there is no guarantee that existing spending commitments will hold.

And that’s part of the problem here.  £540m sounds like a big sum but, in truth we can’t be certain it represents new money.  We have little idea how it fits with the existing local government grant and public spending commitments.  What we do know is that it seems certain that tax cuts will be on the government’s agenda following the change of Prime Minister.  That, plus the most ominous macro-economic climate in a generation (recession, soaring inflation and rising interest rates) means that coming downward pressure on public spending seems locked in.  Whoever becomes Mayor of North Yorkshire and York will have their work cut out for them.

The same of course is true for the new Prime Minister.  It now seems likely (if polls are to be believed) that Liz Truss will win comfortably the Tory Party leadership contest and assume office.  Assuming I get a non-hacked voting paper from the Harrogate & Knaresborough Conservative Association I’ll be putting a cross next to Rishi Sunak’s name.  If Liz Truss does win it will be another example of the maxim that “he who wields the dagger never yields the prize”, Sunak having led with Sajid Javed the avalanche of ministerial resignations that finally put paid to Boris Johnson.

For the life of me I can’t see the logic of the aggressive tax cuts that Liz Truss proposes.  To paraphrase Maurice Saatchi’s famous “Labour isn’t working” political advertising slogan from the 1980’s, an argument can be made that “Britain isn’t working.”  The NHS has moved beyond perpetual ‘crisis’ and is now in real trouble, with waiting lists soaring for everything from cancer treatment to mental health treatment, nary an ambulance in sight when you need one and chronic staff shortages.  It takes an age to get a passport and, when you do, the airports are carnage.  The DVLA can’t get a driver’s license organised for love nor money and with a series of national train strikes and 7-hour queues to take a ferry to France, travelling in this country is becoming a Kafka-esque challenge. Planes, trains, and automobiles indeed.  I haven’t even mentioned the disaster that is immigration policy and our handling of the small boats influx on our shores.  Reform may well be part of the answer but setting all these right needs real money and competent grip.  Economists who support Ms. Truss’ plan to tax cut our way to economic growth to fund all this are thin on the ground.  Like North Yorkshire’s coming new elected Mayor, Ms. Truss’ real task is to find imaginative policy solutions to our problems, from skills to housing, from transport to health and then find a way to run them properly.  And that takes public money, gobs of it.

That’s my Strayside Sunday.

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Explained: What is North Yorkshire’s combined authority?

As part of a devolution deal which was announced this week, a combined authority will be set up for North Yorkshire and York.

The move will be historic for the county as it joins Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Tees Valley in setting up such an authority.

Should it be given the go-ahead, a combined authority could be set up for North Yorkshire and York by autumn 2023.

But what is a combined authority and how would it work?

What is a combined authority?

A combined authority is a body set up for two or more councils to make joint decisions.

In this case, the upcoming North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council would come together to make decisions on matters such as economic development and transport.

The combined authority will be chaired by the elected mayor of North Yorkshire and York.

It will be a separate body to North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council.

Four councillors from North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council will sit on the mayor’s executive, should it wish to operate on such a system.

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An overview and scrutiny committee will also be set up to scrutinise the decisions of both the mayor and combined authority. Six councillors from each council will be nominated to sit on the committee.

The closest example of this is West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which recently has led on the £10.9 million Station Gateway scheme, as well as similar schemes in Skipton and Selby.

In West Yorkshire, Labour and Co-Operative representative Tracy Brabin has been the elected mayor of the county and head of the combined authority since 2021.

What decisions will it make?

The combined authority’s powers focus mainly on overarching matters that affect more than one place, for example transport and economic development.

Under the devolution deal agreed this week, the authority would also oversee skills and adult education.

Services such as bin collections and highways will remain with the unitary council.

Why do we need one?

Under the devolution deal agreed with government, a mayor and combined authority must be set up in order to access further funding for areas such as housing and economic development.

It is also required for some powers to be devolved from Westminster to North Yorkshire and York.

North Yorkshire council officials feel the move will help the county be able to make strategic decisions jointly with York.

The new top local politician in the Harrogate district

The local political landscape is being utterly transformed.

A new unitary authority is coming; eight existing councils, including Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council, are going.

A devolution deal this week paved the way for a countywide mayor and the creation of a combined authority overseeing £540 million.

It’s not just the institutions changing. So too are the politicians.

Richard Cooper and Graham Swift, the long-serving Conservative leader and deputy leader of Harrogate Borough Council, will step down when it is abolished next year.

Don Mackenzie, the Conservative councillor previously in charge of transport at North Yorkshire County Council, did not seek re-election in the local elections on May 5.

Since then a new man has emerged as the most senior local politician and although he too is a Conservative he is a somewhat different beast.

As executive member for health and adult services at North Yorkshire County Council, Michael Harrison is the only person from the Harrogate district sitting on what is effectively the 10-person cabinet making key decisions on spending in the county.

Cllr Harrison (far right), sitting on the county council’s cabinet.

Cllr Harrison’s portfolio is responsible for more than half of the county council’s £380 million annual budget. But most people aren’t interested in social care until they need it, so his role attracts far less attention than the transport brief Keane Duncan inherited from Don Mackenzie, even though the sums are higher.

Cllr Harrison, who lives at Killinghall Moor, is far from unhappy about his low profile. He says:

“I enjoy contributing in an executive capacity. Adult social care is a complex area — you are dealing with some of the most vulnerable people in society.

“I feel I have a lot to offer there. It’s completely different to being the local face of the council.”

From Killinghall to Northallerton

Born in Sunderland, and with the accent to prove it, Cllr Harrison, 52, moved to the Harrogate district in the mid-1990s with his job at Lloyds Banking Group. He still works for the bank in risk management.

He joined Killinghall Parish Council in 2002, was elected to Harrogate Borough Council in 2004 and nine years later was also voted on to North Yorkshire County Council.

While some of his Conservative colleagues fell by the wayside at May’s local election, he received a commanding 54% share of the vote to ensure he will represent Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate on the county council and its successor, the new North Yorkshire Council, until at least 2027.

Many people think councillors are full time professionals, but most combine politics with full-time jobs. Each county councillor receives a basic allowance of £10,316. Executive members, like Cllr Harrison, also receive special responsibility allowances of £15,939.

North Yorkshire County Council's offices in Northallerton.

County Hall in Northallerton, home of North Yorkshire County Council.

Cllr Harrison often takes his laptop to County Hall in Northallerton to work on his day job between meetings. Juggling the two isn’t easy, but he says:

“I think it’s important that councillors are drawn from society itself. It wouldn’t be healthy if only retired people could do it. But it is difficult to do it alongside a full-time job. You need the support of your family and employer.”

Pragmatism over politics

Although he’s a lifelong Conservative, Cllr Harrison does not come across as overtly political. He doesn’t name any political heroes and claims not to be ambitious.

“I’ve never had any particular political ambitions. I get a lot out of delivering quietly behind the scenes. I adopt a pragmatic approach to problems.”

He is backing Rishi Sunak in the leadership contest, saying he wants someone who can “reintroduce honesty and integrity into central government”.

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County Hall in Northallerton operates like Whitehall in London. The politically elected executive members set the direction of travel and professional civil servants carry out the day-to-day work.

Cllr Harrison seems more comfortable talking about the nuts and bolts of North Yorkshire politics rather than banging the drum for the Tories.

He says the new unitary authority will deliver services more efficiently than the current two-tier system by removing bureaucracy and will also end confusion over which council does what. But he admits there are challenges:

“Can the new council demonstrate it understands local needs? Tensions will be there within the district. The key is to understand priorities in each area.”

He says some services, such as gritting and waste disposal, are best handled centrally in Northallerton, but other services, such as leisure and tourism, require a more local focus.

Unusually for a leading Conservative, he’s a member of the banking union Accord and talks warmly about it. He says:

“Unions have a key role to play in representing employees.”

He also has rheumatoid arthritis, which he says is under control. Typically, he doesn’t make a fuss about it and is soon talking about social care again. He seems happy with it this way:

“Prior to getting into local government I said to people ‘I’m not into politics’. I’m more interested in delivering services for residents and hopefully being a common sense voice around the table.”

Liberal Democrats call for public vote over North Yorkshire devolution deal

Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats have called for a public vote over a £540 million devolution deal which was announced this week.

The historic deal for North Yorkshire and York was signed by government and county council officials on Monday and comes with an elected mayor for the region.

But opposition Liberal Democrat councillors have said residents should be “allowed to make their own decision” over whether to accept the deal.

Cllr Pat Marsh, leader of the party on Harrogate Borough Council, said the agreement concentrated “too much power into the hands of one person”.

She said:

“I have serious reservations about this deal. It’s being framed as devolution – but it is just not. Harrogate and Knaresborough residents lose out. 

“We are not even guaranteed any investment towards the renovation of Harrogate Convention Centre as part of the deal. I do not see how anyone can think the concentration of power into the hands of one person is devolution – the government have created North Yorkshire unitary authority, that is not even up and running yet and they are already pushing for a mayor. 

“We’ve moved from smaller district and borough councils to one enormous unitary authority, and now we’re set to get a mayor ruling over all of us and the City Of York, with more power and less local accountability and scrutiny than any of our councillors or MPs. 

“The mayor will have the authority to impose an additional council tax precept on households and to raise business rates.”

The deal, which was signed by Greg Clark, secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities, will see the county given £540 million over 30 years.

It will also see a combined authority set up and the creation of a mayor, who is expected to be elected in May 2024.

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Cllr Carl Les, Conservative leader of the county council, described the deal as a “huge opportunity” for North Yorkshire.

He said:

“The chance to secure a wide range of decision-making powers as well as bringing in millions of pounds of investment for North Yorkshire is a huge opportunity for us all to shape our own future for many years to come.

“It will make a real difference to the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in North Yorkshire, driving future prosperity and much better opportunities that are so important to everyone.

“Whether it is improving skills and education, bringing in more investment to the region or helping improve transport links and providing much-needed affordable housing, the proposed deal would enable us to take far greater control of our own destinies.

“An elected mayor representing both York and North Yorkshire would be a powerful figure to have a seat at the table for further negotiations with the Government, bringing real and tangible benefits to the region.”

Councillors on both North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council will be given a vote over whether to accept the deal in the coming months.