HC Deb 23 July 1958 vol 592 cc574-5

Lords Amendment: In page 10, line 11, leave out "fourteen days" and insert "two months".

Mr. Nugent

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

The Amendment is designed to lengthen the minimum period of notice originally inserted in the Bill for owners and occupiers of property which is to be acquired. Certain property north of Knightsbridge is to be acquired. The Bill provided originally for fourteen days' notice. The London County Council had given provisional warning to those concerned some months ago—I should think six months' warning by the time the Bill reaches the Statute Book—and therefore it was thought that provision for fourteen days' formal statutory notice was sufficient in the Bill. Indeed, that was similar to many earlier Acts, and in this matter this has been amended in another place to two months. I might add that this will not affect the time-table for the Bill as this property will not be required until the end of this year.

11.0 p.m.

Mr. Anthony Greenwood

We accept this reluctantly, but hope that the Parliamentary Secretary will not think that we are taking this as a precedent. As he has already told the House, the London County Council has taken special pains on this occasion to comply with the Standing Orders and many of the owners of property will have had two months' notice by the time this Measure is on the Statute Book. So the extension to two months is, we think, unnecessary and we concede the Amendment only in order to expedite the passage of the Bill.

Question put and agreed to.