HC Deb 29 June 1951 vol 489 c1782

Amendments made: In page 8, line 42, leave out from "determined," to "shall," in line 44, and insert: in pursuance of a notice given by the Minister to the operator, subsections (1) and (2).

In line 45, after "applicant," insert "and to the application."

In line 46, at end, insert "and to the notice."—[Mr. Dalton.]

Mr. Speaker

Mr. Dalton.

Mr. Dalton

There is an Amendment on the Order Paper, Sir, in the name of the right hon. Member for Blackburn, West (Mr. Assheton), to leave out Clause 12.

Mr. Speaker

I have not selected that.

Mr. Assheton

I gathered that you have not selected my Amendment, Sir, which I had considered the most important of the day.

Mr. Speaker

I am sorry about that, but a similar Amendment was negatived in Committee. After all, its point can be raised on Third Reading.

Mr. Assheton

At that stage it is rather late to appraise the House of the difficulties. We can raise it then, of course, although we shall be unable to have the matter altered.

Mr. Speaker

A decision was taken on this in Committee, and on the Report stage we very rarely take Amendments to leave out a whole Clause.

Mr. Molson

Can we have a little guidance upon that, Mr. Speaker? I thought the idea of the Report stage was so that matters of great importance could be reconsidered by the House when the Bill came back to it from being considered in Committee upstairs. Clause 12 is an extremely important Clause, dealing with the whole basis of the assessment of development charges. Here, in this small Bill, a fundamental change is made in the principles of the assessment of development charges laid down in the principal Act of 1947.

Mr. Speaker

I am sorry about that, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that when I had my conference this decision was not taken without very careful consideration, and I decided not to call the Amendment.