Housing and Planning Bill (Hansard, 3 November 1986)

§ Mr. John Maxton (Glasgow, Carthcart)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Amendment No. 4 amends the Tenants Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980. Part I of the Bill relates to the right to buy while the rest of the Bill deals exclusively with provisions affecting England and Wales. Tomorrow we shall be debating Lords amendments to the Housing (Scotland) Bill. The Government have now introduced an important clause that gives Ministers powers to vary upwards only the discounts available in respect of the right to buy, and have thus introduced into a basically English Bill a clause affecting Scotland.
I appreciate that, as things stand, you, Mr. Speaker, do not have the power to tell Ministers not to do that. However, the way in which the Government have misused English legislation to introduce legislation for Scotland is now so great that I would ask you, at the first instance, to see the Leader of the House and representatives from the Opposition to find out whether it is possible to devise strict rules about what is Scottish legislation and what is English legislation.

§ Mr. Speaker
The hon. Gentleman has more or less answered his own point of order. It is not a matter for me. It would have been open to the hon. Gentleman to put down an amendment to Lords amendment No. 4. The hon. Gentleman has not done so, but if he catches the eye of the Chair he will have an opportunity to make that point during the course of the debate.

§ The Minister for Housing, Urban Affairs and Construction (Mr. John Patten)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office, who is responsible for such matters, is on the Front Bench and will be able to respond to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Maxton) should he be fortunate enough to catch your eye during the debate on that amendment.