CONSULTATION (Hansard, 14 June 1976)

§ Mr. Rossi
I beg to move Amendment No. 6, in page 14, line 10, after '16' insert '(1)'.

Mr. Deputy Speaker
With this, we are to consider the following amendments:

§ Mr. Rossi
The hon. Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Mr. Brown) has just referred to Clause 16, which deals with consultation with an advisory body still to be set up. The object of the amendment is to take the matter a little further and to ensure that the Camden Council reaches agreement with the advisory body before any action is taken to change the character of the cemetery and that, in the event of any dispute between the advisory body and the council, the matter can be referred to the Secretary of State to act as arbitrator in the last resort.

§ Mr. Ronald Brown
The promoters of the Bill take the view that they have gone as far as it is possible to go. Their view is that these amendments seek to bypass the usual local authority consultation formulae. The local parties are accustomed to exercising consultation functions in many areas. There is no indication that they exercise these functions other than in a bona fide manner. Camden has already inserted Clause 16 as a safeguard in this respect.
198 I promised the hon. Member for Hornsey (Mr. Rossi) that on behalf of the promoters I would put on to the record of the House the undertakings they are prepared to give, in order that everyone might understand the position.
I put it on record, on behalf of Camden, that

"(a) It is to agree the formation, the constitution and the functions of, and participate in, the advisory trust;

(b) It is to treat the advisory trust as an appropriate organisation for the purposes of Clause 16 and to consult it in accordance with the requirements of that clause;

(c) It is to prepare special management regulations for Highgate Cemetery in place of the council's standard cemeteries regulations;

(d) So far as the matter is not covered by the consultation obligations imposed by Clause 16, it is to use its best endeavours to relocate within the cemetery any tombstone removed from its present position under Clause 17."
As I understand it, that is what the amenity group was looking for, and the promoters consider that those undertakings adequately meet the need.

§ Mr. Rossi
In view of that undertaking, given as a parliamentary undertaking, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.