§
Lords Amendment: No. 17, in page 37, line 13, leave out "the following subsection" and insert
subsection (2) of this section
Mr. Deputy SpeakerWe shall consider at the same time the following three further Lords Amendments:
No. 18, in page 37, line 17, at end insert—
(1A). Without prejudice to the preceding subsection, it shall also be the duty of the Authority—
- (a) to consider what aerodromes are in its opinion likely to be required from time
1513 to time in the United Kingdom in addition to or in place of or by way of alteration of existing aerodromes; and - (b) to make recommendations to the Secretary of State arising out of its consideration of that matter;
and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to publish the recommendations (except any of them of which the publication appears to him unnecessary) in such manner as he considers appropriate for bringing them to the notice of the public".
§
No. 19, in page 37, line 18, leave out "the preceding subsection" and insert:
subsection (1) of this section".
§
No. 20, in page 37, line 33, after "section," insert:
and in performing the duty imposed on it by subsection (1A) of this section".
§ I should acquaint the House that there is a question of Privilege involved in Lords Amendments Nos. 18 and 20.
§ Mr. NobleThese Amendments were put down in order to give the Authority the necessary powers and, perhaps, the duty to help the Secretary of State when there is any question of the planning of airports. This is generally called the National Airports Plan, though this title is in many ways a misnomer.
§ Mr. MillanI would certainly not object to this series of Amendments but I find it extraordinary that they should be to Clause 33. I had it in mind in earlier discussions that somewhere, subsumed in the general powers and duties that we were giving to the Civil Aviation Authority, there was a duty to look at the question of airport planning. I have never actually seen it stated explicitly in the Bill but I assumed that it was included in some of the general powers. That was the general assumption on both sides of the Committee in considering the Bill.
There is something to be said for setting this out specifically in the Bill because there is a certain amount of concern, for example, in the British Airports Authority that the Civil Aviation Authority may not give a great deal of priority to airport planning, and that would be a great pity. That being so, I find it difficult to understand that this Amendment should be to Clause 33 and not to a much earlier Clause in which we specify the general duties of the Civil Aviation Authority. I am not altogether happy that this important provision should seem to be tucked away later in the Bill as a kind of afterthought. Having 1514 said that, however, I believe that it is an improvement which we should have in the Bill even though it is inappropriately placed.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to [Special Entry.]