§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this we may take Government amendments No. 351 and 370.
§ Mr. KingThese amendments are concerned with restoring controls that it had previously been proposed to revoke.
The first amendment deals with the power of local authorities to vary or revoke noise abatement orders, which was inadvertently removed in drafting the Bill.
The second amendment deals with the power of the Secretary of State to require a local authority to provide a mortuary or post mortem room.
The third amendment concerns ministerial control over the fees payable for inspection of the register of theatrical employers.
In each case, the law is restored to its previous position.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this we may take the following Government amendments: Nos. 335 to 350, 352 to 369, and 371 to 375.
§ Mr. FoxThe vast majority of these 39 amendments are purely technical, to improve the drafting of the Bill. One or two impart small changes of substance.
§ Amendments Nos. 334, 335, 337 to 341, 343 and 344 will avoid the possibility of confusion by removing unnecessary subsection references from schedule 1. One or two additional drafting amendments will also be needed to clause 1 (1), and will be made in another place. Amendments Nos. 346 to 350, 352 to 354, and 360 and 361 will insert explanatory notes to ease the task of users of the Bill. Amendments Nos. 336, 345, 357, 359 and 363 transfer items from schedule 1 to other places for greater consistency, and take on board four minor or con 1370 sequential amendments to the Shops Act. Amendments Nos. 355 and 371, again for consistency, correct inadvertent omissions in the Bill as first drafted. Amendments Nos. 372 to 375 rearrange the entries in schedule 6 into proper chronological order and incorporate consequential changes which are necessary but which were previously overlooked. Amendment No. 364 brings "working standards" within the orbit of paragraph 1 of schedule 4. All the other amendments merely correct very minor drafting or printing errors.
§ I commend all these minor, but useful, amendments to the House.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Amendments made: No. 335, in page 115, line 8, leave out '(1)'.
§ No. 336, in page 115, leave out lines 9 and 10.
§ No. 337, in page 115, line 12, leave out '(5) and (6)'.
§ No. 338, in page 115, line 13, leave out '(5) and (6)'.
§ No. 339, in page 115, line 14, leave out '(5)'.
§ No. 340, in page 115, line 16, leave out '(2)'.
§ No. 341, in page 115, line 18, leave out '(3)'.
§ No. 342, in page 115, leave out lines 19 to 22.
§ No. 343, in page 115, line 24, leave out '(7)'.
§ No. 344, in page 115, line 25, leave out '(2)'.—[Mr. Brooke.]
§ Mr. KingI beg to move amendment No. 222, in page 115, line 25, at end insert:
Local Government Act 1972 (c.70)13A. Section 138 (emergencies and disasters).'
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this we are to take Government amendments Nos. 223 and 226.
§ Mr. KingThese are three further controls that we propose should be removed. One is to lift restrictions on the powers of principal councils to take action in the event of emergencies and disasters. The second amendment relates to the power 1371 of the Greater London Council to provide new open spaces. The third amendment permits authorities to set their own reasonable fees for theatre licences.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerThe next 34 amendments are to be moved formally. They do not run in sequence, so I propose to read out the numbers, and if any hon. Member does not wish an amendment to be taken in the group, perhaps he will indicate that to the Chair.
§ Amendment made: No. 345, in page 115, leave out line 30 to 38.—[Mr. King.]