HC Deb 24 October 1972 vol 843 cc1037-9

Lords Amendment: No. 114, in page 52, line 10, to leave out from "by" to "may" and insert "a county council".

Mr. Speed

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

I had intended to advise the House that this was a drafting Amendment, but after my reception in the last debate, perhaps I should explain it fully.

As drafted the words by the council of an existing administrative county failed to take account of orders made by the councils of former administrative counties whose areas now form part of larger counties, such as the former county of the Soke of Peterborough, since 1965 part of the present administrative county of Huntingdon and Peterborough. This is because "existing" means "existing at the time of the passing of the Act".

The Amendment repairs this fault by substituting "a county council", so that the words will bite on all orders regardless of when they were made.

Question put and agreed to.

Forward to