HC Deb 16 March 1970 vol 798 cc169-71

9.40 p.m.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Dr. J. Dickson Mabon)

I beg to move in page 9, line 24 after 'etc.),' insert: (a) after subsection (2) there shall be inserted the following subsection:— '(2A) Before granting any permission under this section, the buildings authority shall consult the highway authority within the meaning of section 49(1) of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1970'; (b).

Mr. Gordon Campbell (Moray and Nairn)

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of State is so out of breath that it is very difficult to hear what he is saying. Perhaps he will speak a little more slowly.

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman is reading from the Amendment Paper which we all have before us.

Dr. Mabon

This Amendment is put down as the result of an undertaking I gave in Committee, and I thought that hon. Gentlemen opposite would like to see it on the Notice Paper.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

We are glad that the Government have seen fit to table this Amendment following our discussion in Committee. We were also glad to see the Minister of State arrive, even at the last moment and very much out of breath.

The argument put forward in Committee was accepted in principle by the Government on 26th February, when my hon. Friend the Member for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith) pointed out that there should be consultation as two authorities were involved in this kind of question.

The hon. Gentleman has tabled the Amendment in a slightly different form from that proposed by us in Committee. Perhaps I might take this opportunity to ask him whether he had not intended to make two or three other Amendments. We are surprised that, apparently, the Government have not had time to table them—

Mr. Speaker

Order. On this Amendment, we cannot discuss Amendments which the hon. Gentleman would like to see at Consideration stage.

Dr. Mabon

I accept that this Amendment is not entirely all that was required in Clause 5, but it is as far as we are prepared to go at the moment. We are discussing the matter with the National Federation of Builders' and Plumbers' Merchants, and no doubt we will seek to make some points in another place. I have written to a number of hon. Members, including the hon. Member for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith) on certain matters which were raised in Committee and which I hope will be considered in another place. I have also indicated what we may be doing elsewhere.

Amendment agreed to.

Motion made, and Question, That the Bill be now read the Third time, put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 55 (Third Reading), and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time, and passed.

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