HC Deb 25 October 1967 vol 751 cc1651-2

Lords Amendment No. 4: In page 11, line 10, after "authorities" insert: and with such bodies as appear to the Commission to be representative of owners or occupiers of land".

Mr. Speaker

With this Amendment we can discuss Lords Amendments Nos. 5 and 6.

Dr. Mabon

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

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

These Amendments provide a solution to the problem upon which we had a lengthy argument in Committee, of the question who should be consulted at this stage of consideration. At that time I resisted the idea that every owner and every occupier who might be affected ought to be consulted at that stage. The Opposition quite reasonably made the point that this was wrong and that although in practical terms it might not be possible some mechanism should be devised. This is the mechanism that we have agreed on, and I commend it to the House.

Mr. Stodart

This is the fourth addendum that has been suggested. There was one upstairs, another on Report, a further in Committee in another place, and finally this one. In the circumstances, I merely say that I am grateful that the Government have at last agreed that clarification of this point is a good thing.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.