HC Deb 16 November 1944 vol 404 cc2185-6

Lords Amendment: In page 25, line 27, after "by," insert: an arbitrator agreed between the Minister and the authority, or, in default of agreement, by.

1.47 p.m.

The Solicitor-General

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

The effect of this Amendment is to give parties a chance of agreeing on their own arbitrator, and in default of that to go to the official arbitrator. Some people think that this save expense, and we thought it ought to be provided for.

Question put, and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 25, line 35, after "disposal," insert "or appropriation."

1.48 p.m.

Mr. H. Strauss

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

This Amendment cures an omission to which attention was drawn by some Members when the Bill was in the House before. We promised to look into it, and we thought that we should add the words, "or appropriation," to make the Clause have the effect which we always intended.

Question put, and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 25, line 40, after "satisfied," insert: ,after causing such particulars as appear to him requisite of the disposal or appropriation for which his consent is sought to be published by Gazette and local advertisement not less than twenty-eight days before he gives his decision on the application for his consent.

1.49 p.m.

Mr. H. Strauss

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

This also is to secure an improvement which was suggested when this matter was before the House, I think on the Report stage, and it provides for the advertisement in the "London Gazette" and locally of any proposal of a local planning authority to dispose of, or appropriate, any building which is listed as being of special architectural or historical interest before the Minister gives his decision on the application for his consent, except when the consent is given subject to conditions that will secure that the building is preserved.

Question put, and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 26, line 7, leave out "will not seriously affect," and insert: can be carried out without serious detriment to.

1.50 p.m.

Mr. H. Strauss

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

This remedies a technical defect in the words as they were. It is, of course, possible that buildings of architectural interest can be sometimes improved by alteration, and therefore to define "preservation" in a way which would prevent every alteration would be clearly undesirable. These words better achieve our purpose.

Question put, and agreed to.