HC Deb 30 July 1956 vol 557 cc1066-8

Lords Amendment: In page 20, line 7, after "instrument" insert: (4) An order under subsection (7) or (8) of section seventeen of this Act shall not have effect unless approved by resolution of each House of Parliament. (5) A statutory instrument embodying any order under the provisions of this Act relating to parking places other than subsections (7) and (8) of section seventeen of this Act shall be".

Mr. Molson

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

This Amendment has the effect of providing that where the Minister, or in Scotland the Secretary of State, makes an order under subsection (7) or subsection (8) as the case may be, extending the parking place provisions of the Bill to areas outside London, such an order shall not have effect until it has been approved by Resolution of each House of Parliament.

This change in the Bill was made in accordance with the undertaking given by my noble Friend Lord Selkirk in another place. During the Committee stage and on Report, there was pressure from both sides of the House to apply affirmative Resolution procedure to various provisions of the Bill, notably those relating to vehicle testing and parking places. So far as vehicle testing was concerned, we gave an undertaking to produce a White Paper fully explaining the details of the scheme, and that was regarded as being reasonably satisfactory. It was also thought desirable to meet the wishes of the House regarding affirmative Resolution procedure in one particular type of order concerning parking places.

In this Amendment the affirmative Resolution procedure has been conceded regarding orders made by the Minister or the Secretary of State applying the parking place provisions of the Bill to areas outside London. In other words, both Houses will be asked to approve a series of orders in which the Minister or the Secretary of State will designate particular places—Birmingham, Manchester or Glasgow—in which the provisions of Clause 15 (1) will apply. That means that it will be open to Birmingham or any other local authority to submit for confirmation orders designating parking places in those areas. In such cases, where the local authority is submitting a scheme, there will not be an affirmative Resolution, but such an order will be subject to Prayer in this House. I hope that that will be regarded in this House, as it was in another place, as a reasonable compromise to meet the opinions expressed.

Mr. Ernest Davies

We welcome this provision, which will enable both Houses of Parliament to have an opportunity of debating the extensions of these parking regulations outside London, where the Minister makes a scheme. So far as local authorities are concerned, we shall retain the negative procedure. That seems to me to cover the case.