July is always a busy month for government publications. It produces mounds of documents to be digested just as MPs go into recess and cannot criticise them, and people go on holiday with more relaxing reading.

And this was certainly a bumper July for papers on local government and local democracy.

 Attention has focused on the CLG White Paper, Communities in control: Real people, real power. Rather less attention was paid to its accompanying The Government response to the Councillors' Commission, Local petitions and calls for action: Government response, and Creating strong, safe and prosperous communities: Statutory guidance.