§ 10.30 p.m.
§ Mr. NugentI beg to move, in page 10, line 18, to leave out "the purpose of using the land," and to insert:
that they shall be entitled, after consultation with the occupier, if ascertainable by them after reasonable inquiry, and with the local authority (that is to say, the council of the county district or county borough in which the land is), to exercise the power conferred by this section for preventing the use of the land by persons in substantial numbers.The purpose of this Amendment is to meet the point made in Committee that the Clause as at present worded gives river boards exceptional powers which might conceivably be used to the detriment of seaside resorts. The effect of the Amendment is that river boards can now prevent land required for bank construction and other works being frequented by crowds, but only after consultation with the local authority and the private occupier.
§ Mr. BlenkinsopI can only say here that I am glad to see that the Minister has been moved by the very sad picture drawn by my right hon. Friend the Member for Belper (Mr. G. Brown) regarding the possibility that he and his family might well be prevented from reaching the beach by the provisions originally in the Bill. But, more seriously, we put the point, which I think was appreciated by the Minister, that there were many camps and other places where it would be quite unreasonable for the people using them to be debarred from the use of the beach, and that their use of the beach would in no way interfere with the work going on I think the wording of the Amendment meets the point made in Committee that there should be reference to the local authority and that they should have some say in the matter.
§ Amendment agreed to.