Clause 10.—(RECOVERY OF COAST PROTECTION CHARGES.) (Hansard, 19 October 1949)

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
I beg to move, in page 14, line 19, after "may," to insert: at any time after it has fallen due. This, and the succeeding ones, are a further series of drafting Amendments to make it clear that the Clauses about the recovery of coast protection charges only refer to instalments which have already fallen due, and not to those which may fall due later. This is purely for clarification.

§ Mr. Deputy-Speaker (Major Milner)
With the permission of the House, I propose to take the remaining five Amendments together.

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
It might be as well if we took them individually, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, as there are intervening Amendments.
I beg to move, in page 14, line 37, at the end, to insert: (5) The making of an order under the said subsection (2) as respects a coast protection charge shall not prevent the charge from being discharged at any time by the payment to the coast protection authority of the unpaid balance of the charge together with any accrued interest thereon.

§ Mr. R. S. Hudson
This is surely more than a drafting Amendment.

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
This is a separate Amendment. It carries out a suggestion put forward in the Standing Committee that a person paying a coast protection charge by instalments should be able to discharge his liability by paying off the unpaid balance at any time.

§ Mr. Hudson
I thank the hon. Gentleman for meeting our point and for the explanation.

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
I beg to move, in page 14, line 42, to leave out "instalment," and insert: any instalment in respect thereof for the time being due and remaining unpaid. This is consequential.

§ Mr. C. Williams
It really seems rather more than consequential because, as I understand it, on line 42 we are leaving out the word "instalment" and we are going a good deal further than that by inserting any instalment in respect thereof for the time being due and remaining unpaid. It would seem to be rather unnecessary to have brought in the original Bill without bringing in repayment of instalments, as these words obviously mean some part on an instalment which has not already been paid. I cannot understand why the Treasury came to allow, in a Bill of this kind, language which did not make it perfectly plain that not only instalments but part of an instalment had not been paid. It is also, quite possibly, a matter which the Treasury have not been into. There is no reason why we should express regret on this side of the House at the 715 slackness of the Government in having to bring forward this Amendment, which, as far as I can see, should obviously have been in the original Bill. To say this Amendment is consequential is rather nice, but it is also very tedious.

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
I beg to move, in page 14, line 44, to leave out "the," and insert "a."
This and the succeeding Amendment are both consequential.

§ Mr. C. Williams
rose—

§ Mr. Deputy-Speaker
I do not know on what the hon. Gentleman desires to address me. I have collected the voices in regard to the first half of the question.

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
I beg to move, in page 14, line 45, to leave out "payable," and to insert "is due and remains unpaid."
This is also consequential.

§ Mr. C. Williams
I want to know what it is consequential on. It is obvious from the Parliamentary Secretary's speech a minute ago that both Amendments are consequential on the same one. He will save such a lot of time if he would say on what Amendment this is consequential. The Home Secretary is nodding his head. If he wants to make a speech, I shall give way. If the hon. Gentleman would tell us what it is consequential on, it would simplify matters. He must know. It would be dreadful, when he is making one of the last speeches he will make in this House, if we did not know what he is talking about.

§ Mr. Blenkinsop
I beg to move, in page 15, line 20, at the end, to insert: (9) References in this section to the payment or recovery of an instalment in respect of a coast protection charge shall be construed as including references to the payment or recovery, as the case may be, of any accrued interest in respect of the charge. This is to provide that instalments that are paid shall include the accrued interest in respect to the charge to which they refer. Again, it is no more than drafting.