HC Deb 05 November 1975 vol 899 cc517-9

Lords Amendment: No. 19, in page 42, line 17, leave out from "installation" to end of subsection and insert subsection (4) of section 3 of that Act (which includes the concession owner among the persons having the duty to ensure that regulations under that section relating to an installation are complied with) shall have effect as if references to the concession owner were omitted.

Mr. John Smith

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this it will be convenient to take Lords Amendments Nos. 20 and 21.

Mr. John Smith

I can deal with these amendments briefly because they are technical amendments to a technical clause. The clause is designed to established a boundary for safety purposes between the Bill and the Mineral Workings (Offshore Installations) Act, 1971. Broadly, pipelines as such will be dealt with under this Bill, but manned apparatus and installations on pipelines or connected with them will be dealt with under the 1971 Act, which contains provisions specially relevant to manned installations. The setting of the boundary and the application of the 1971 Act provisions to manned apparatus on pipelines carrying substances from outside the United Kingdom area has proved complex and these amendments are necessary to round off some rough edges which came to light in the earlier versions.

I do not think that the amendments raise any matters of controversy. I believe that the House will find them acceptable.

Question put and agreed to.

Lords Amendments: No. 20, in page 42, line 21, leave out "other" and insert "offshore".

No. 21, in page 42, line 24, leave out from "persons" to "shall)" in line 28 and insert "the said subsection (4)".

Mr. Deputy Speaker

I propose to put formally to the House Lords Amendments Nos. 20 and 21, but before I do so I wish to draw attention to a typographical error in the first line of Lords Amendment No. 21. I understand that a comma has been struck out after the word "shall". I shall put the Question, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

Mr. Patrick Jenkin

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I think what has gone wrong is that a bracket has been put in the wrong place. I believe the bracket should appear before the word "shall" rather than after it.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

We must be certain exactly where the bracket and the comma go.

Mr. Benn

Perhaps I may be allowed to take advice on the matter.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

We shall not suspend the sitting while the Secretary of State takes advice, but I hope the House will be patient because this is a matter of some importance.

I have now been informed that the bracket should appear before the word "shall".

Question put and agreed to.

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