CLAUSE 11.—(Contents of schemes, and authorities respossible for enforcing them.) (Hansard, 3 June 1932)

§ Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTE
I beg to move, in page 14, line 31, to leave out the words "similar to, or."
These words are quite unnecessary and they make the Clause much too wide.

Sir H. YOUNG
This proposal was fully discussed in Committee, and the result was that the Committee came to the conclusion not to accept it. The effect of this part of the Clause is to suspend an enactment on the ground that it is similar to a previous scheme, and this power is of very practical importance in the machinery of town planning and in the interests of the landowners themselves, because the very object of the exercise of these powers is to prevent embarrassing confusion and doubt and consequent financial loss to owners and occupiers in trying to find out under what powers they are expected to act. The Clause clears up that difficulty by saying that the town planning scheme is the one that shall prevail, and others are ruled out. This is a necessary extension in order to deal with the varieties of legislation, and its purpose is to prevent landowners from being harassed by being subjected to two codes, possibly operated by different local authorities, and from being placed in difficulties as regards knowing what their nights are. The two codes have the same object, and it is much better for everyone concerned that there should only be one. I think that on reflection my hon. and gallant Friend will see that this is a reasonable elasticity to allow in the Clause, and will not find it necessary to press his Amendment.

§ Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTE
In view of the explanation of my right hon. Friend, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.

§ Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTE
I beg to move, in page 14, line 39, to leave out the word "neighbouring."
I move this Amendment for the purpose of asking the Minister for an explanation of what he means by neighbouring land.

§ Mr. MOREING
I beg to second the Amendment.

Sir H. YOUNG
If this Amendment were carried, the paragraph would read: A scheme may— (a) specify as the responsible authority for all purposes of the scheme any one of the following authorities, that is to say, the local authority within whose district any land to which the scheme applies or any land is situate. I am afraid that it would not run, because the effect of the Amendment would be to widen the possibility of acting as a town planning authority to almost any authority that there is. That would not do. I quite understand the intention of my hon. and gallant Friend in moving his Amendment. It is to obtain an explanation of the purpose of giving to a town planning authority power to extend its plans over the land of a neighbouring authority. To begin with, this is not a power to be arbitrarily exercised. It is subject to the will of the neighbouring authority, and, of course, our central Department exists for the purpose of acting as a co-ordinator. I can assure my hon. and gallant Friend that, in the experience of practical town planners, it is often useful for a plan to cover, it may be, a small area outside the area of the actual authority concerned. The reason is that our local government unit areas have been defined in past history, with no relation to the economics and conditions of modern life, and you may have an area which is practically one area, but which includes little bits which for legal purposes fall into other areas. It may be useful, by agreement and co-operation between local authorities, and co-ordination by the Ministry of Health, to allow one authority to extend its plan over a small part of the area of another authority, and to enable that to be done a special provision is necessary.

§ Mr. E. BROWN
I beg to move, in page 15, line 15, at the end, to insert the words: so however that at least three-fourths of the members of the joint body shall be persons who are members of a constituent authority of the joint body. 3.0 p.m.
This is an Amendment to bring the Bill into line as regards the number of persons who may be co-opted and who may be members of the responsible authority. The scheme of the Bill in this respect is laid down in Clauses 3 and 43, and this minor Amendment brings in the same rule.