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Lords Amendment: No. 124, in page 61, line 10, leave out "sub-paragraphs (8) and (9) below" and insert:
the following provisions of this paragraph.
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.—[Mr. Eldon Griffiths.]
§ Mr. John E. B. HillI want to welcome the general tenor of the amendments to this Schedule because they are a great improvement on the Bill as drafted. There will now be greater flexibility. Although the size of the regional and local land drainage committees will remain within the ultimate control of the Minister, there is provision for these to be greater than either 17 or 15 members. This concession is extremely important because in some of these large regional water authorities, such as the new Anglia 448 authority, we may find as a result of experience that rather more members are needed.
Similarly, in a local land drainage area, not only the sheer size of the area but the complexity of the drainage system, concerning such things as pumping levels and elements of sea and tidal defence, could be involved. These matters should be represented to get an efficient administration within which adjustments can be made.
11.45 p.m.
It is important that Lords Amendment No. 138 allows to be elected to these committees people other than members of the appointing local authorities. This means that people whose main interest in public service is perhaps related purely to land drainage will not feel excluded. It will be possible to bring them in, and, therefore, many land drainage fears will be removed. I thank the Minister for the amendments.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.