HC Deb 06 May 1958 vol 587 cc1123-4
Mr. Bevins

I beg to move, in page 17, line 45, at the end to add: (5) The following provisions shall have effect for informing the public of the holding of reviews and the preparation of draft proposals:—

  1. (a) before entering on their review of any area the Commission shall give public notice, in such manner as appears to them sufficient for informing persons likely to be concerned, that they are proceeding to hold the review;
  2. (b) on furnishing to local authorities copies of their draft proposals on any review, the Commission shall give public notice as aforesaid that the copies have been furnished, stating that a copy of the draft proposals is available for public inspection at the offices of each of the local authorities in the area to which the review relates during such time (being the time within which under subsection (3) of this section representations with respect to the draft proposals may be made) as may be specified in the notice, and it shall be the duty of each local authority to whom copies of the draft proposals have been furnished to keep a copy thereof available for public inspection at their offices during that time.
This Amendment seeks to do two things which, I think, will commend themselves to the Committee. During our proceedings in Committee upstairs, the fear was expressed that the Local Government Commission might, as it was inelegantly put, "turn up and ferret about" in the local public house. It was desired that before starting a review of any area the Commission should give adequate notice of its intention to do so. That is the reason for the first part of the Amendment.

The second part of the Amendment is designed to secure that when the Commission, having before the date of the conference consulted all the local authorities in a review area, sends its draft proposals to the local authorities, the fact that it has done so will be advertised so that the public will be able to inspect a copy of the draft proposals at the local council offices. The purpose of this is simply to ensure that when the local authorities and the other interested bodies are studying the Commission's draft proposals, the local people will also have the opportunity of looking at them and, if they so desire, of making intelligent comments at the same time. I believe that this Amendment meets the sentiments expressed in Committee.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.