HC Deb 25 October 1972 vol 843 cc1267-8

Lords Amendment: No. 376, in page 349, line 10, leave out "district" and insert "area".

Mr. Speed

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

It might be convenient for the House to discuss with it Lords Amendments Nos. 377, 378, 379, in page 350, line 20. at end insert: 16A. It shall not be necessary for a burial authority to obtain the approval of the Secretary of State under section 1 of the Burial Act 1900 for the consecration of any portion of a burial ground. 16B. Section 2(3) of the Burial Act 1900 shall cease to have effect. and No. 380.

Lords Amendment No. 376 is purely a drafting Amendment.

Lords Amendment No. 377 is slightly more substantial. Paragraph 14 of the Schedule temporarily applies an existing management code in an Act of 1847 to the cemeteries of the new burial authorities. The 1847 Act originally applied only to statutory cemetery companies. It was applied to certain local authority cemeteries from 1879 onwards. The Amendment enumerates several provisions in the 1847 Act which had not applied to local authorities since 1900, and provides that they shall not apply to the new burial authorities, which I think is eminently sensible.

Lords Amendment No. 378 is drafting.

In Lords Amendment No. 379 the purpose of new paragraph 16A is to make it no longer necessary for the approval of the Secretary of State for the Home Department to be obtained under Section 1 of the Burial Act, 1900, for the consecration of any part of a burial ground. The effect will be that burial authorities will need only to apply to the bishop to consecrate any portion of a burial ground.

The purpose and effect of new paragraph 16B is to abolish the power of the Secretary of State for the Home Department under Section 2 of the Burial Act, 1900, to require a burial authority to erect a chapel on unconsecrated ground.

These provisions are two of the central Government controls that are being abolished, and I am sure they will commend themselves to the House.

Lords Amendment No. 380 is purely drafting, concerned with the Welsh Church Act.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

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