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Lords Amendment: In page 3, line 14, at end insert:
(8) The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to any power of exclusion to suppress or prevent disorderly conduct or other misbehaviour at a meeting.
§ 7.40 p.m.
§ Mrs. Margaret Thatcher (Finchley)I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
The purpose of the Amendment is to relieve some of the apprehensions expressed by local authorities that, as the Bill secures the right of the public to attend local authority meetings, it may deprive local authorities of the right to exclude members of the public who behave in a disorderly manner or in any way obstruct the meetings.
It was the opinion of such of the legal Members as I consulted that the Bill did not deprive the local authorities of any common law powers which they might have had in that direction. As, however, those authorities were still apprehensive, their Lordships thought it best to include the Amendment in the Bill. I hope that this House will think fit to pass it, because it makes it clear that the common law powers still remain, either with the chairman or with the authority.
§ Mr. Michael Stewart (Fulham)I have particular pleasure in supporting the hon. Lady the Member for Finchley (Mrs. Thatcher) in what she has just said, because in Committee on the Bill I had an Amendment down of similar effect though rather different words. I had the misfortune that the Amendment was not even called by the Chairman of the Committee, and when I managed to raise the matter later in discussion of the Schedule to the Bill I was told, in effect, by the Government that what I had in mind was neither necessary nor, perhaps, possible. I am, therefore, delighted to find that their Lordships have found it possible 2245 and have considered it necessary, and I trust that this House will agree to it.
§ Question put and agreed to.