§ Mr. BuchanI beg to move, Amendment No. 61, in page 21, line 20, leave out Clause 38.
Clause 38 required a local authority to keep available for public inspection copies of decisions, directions and agreements made by them in relation to the discharge of trade effluent. The provision was intended to assist traders, by making it possible for them to discover on what kind of conditions the local authority allowed discharges in their area, and to satisfy themselves that the authority was adopting a uniform approach. It had genuinely been put in to assist the local trader. However, when the Bill was in Committee there were complaints that this might enable competitors to gain access to trade secrets, which could be deduced from the conditions imposed. The complaints originated from industrial interests, and if industry is worried about this provision, which was intended for their protection, then the safest thing is 1498 to delete the Clause altogether, There does not seem to be any practical method of ensuring that when information is made public it will exclude all matter which might be of value to trade competitors.
§ Mr. WylieI am obliged to the hon. Gentleman for the Amendment. I can assure him that this was a matter of concern to industrial interests. The Amendment he is promoting will be appreciated by industrialists in Scotland.
§ Amendment agreed to.