§ Order for Third Reading read.
§ 9.57 p.m.
§ The Minister for Local Government and Development (Mr. Graham Page)I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
This Bill has been well debated in its earlier stages, but perhaps in a rather piecemeal fashion as the debates occurred on amendments. It might be as well if I drew the threads together now.
The Bill, in exceptional circumstances, provides for the alteration of the boundaries between the new counties of Surrey and West Sussex. The exceptional circumstances are that an undertaking was given by the Government during the passage of the Bill which became the Local Government Act 1972 to make this alteration of the boundaries if certain events occurred. Those events did occur, but only after the Local Government Act had received the Royal Assent.
That Act drew the county boundary north of Charlwood and Horley so as to include those areas with Gatwick in West Sussex. This Bill draws the county boundary between Charlwood and Horley 491 to the north and Gatwick to the south, leaving Charlwood and Horley in Surrey apart from some very minor portions of those parishes.
That boundary line has been carefully determined by the local authorities concerned. Charlwood, as now returned to Surrey, will be a new parish within the new district of Mole Valley. Horley, as now returned to Surrey, will be a new parish within the new district of Reigate and Banstead. Under the 1972 Act there was the new parish of Salfords and Sidlow, comprising those parts of Charlwood and Horley left in Surrey by that Act which then could only go into the Mole Valley district. Now, under this Bill, it will join Horley in the Reigate and Banstead district.
As a result of those changes, certain elections will be necessary. To explain those properly, I should first mention that, for parish purposes, Horley comprises three wards. Two are by the Bill moved intact from West Sussex to Surrey, so no new elections there are needed. The third is only partly moved to Surrey, so in that case a new election will be needed.
I should also add that the very small areas of Charlwood and Horley left in West Sussex are added to existing electoral divisions there. They are too small to be separate divisions on their own. The result regarding elections is that there will be parish council elections for Charlwood and for Horley Ward No. 3. There will be district council elections for Horley to the Reigate and Banstead District Council, for Salfords and Sidlow to the Reigate and Banstead District Council—