Clause 14 (Hansard, 24 June 1968)

§ Mrs. White
I beg to move, That this this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
The effect of the Amendment is to exclude from the provision of Clause 14 reservoirs owned or managed not merely by statutory water undertakers but by all statutory undertakers. The main purpose is to deal with the position of the British Waterways Board which owns a number of reservoirs. In Clause 47(6) of the Transport Bill provision is made for this Board to have power to provide services and facilities for amenity or recreational purposes on the waterways and the reservoirs owned or managed by them. If we did not make this Amendment then we should have the unsatisfactory position that public money might be provided from two sources, one under the Transport Bill and one under this Bill.
9.44 p.m.
Where a statutory undertaker has both powers and finance provided under other legislation, we see no point in providing under the Bill for a further subvention through local authorities, with appropriate grants. Therefore, we ask the House to agree with this Amendment, which has the effect of bringing British Waterways reservoirs into line with the position already afforded to British Waterways canals under the Clause as it stands.

§ Mrs. White
I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
We have been advised that this Amendment is desirable to provide for situations where otherwise it might not be possible to deal with land adjacent to 172 canals; for example, in a situation where the British Waterways Board owned the canal and the towpath on one side of it but had no control of the land on the other side which might nevertheless be desirable.
This Amendment has been tabled at the request of the Ministry of Transport, which assures us that it will be for the better administration of the purposes of the Bill.

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

§ Mr. Speaker
It has been suggested that, with this Amendment, we take No. 21, after Clause 15, in page 18, line 34, at end insert new Clause "C" (Access agreements: undertakings by landowners and others not to convert land into excepted land).

§ Mr. MacDermot
These are the Amendments to which I referred just now and which will enable a landowner to bind himself to refrain from actions which would render the land "excepted" and not open to public access. The local planning authority would be able to recognise this additional factor in determining the terms on which the agreement is negotiated.