HC Deb 04 November 1986 vol 103 c820

Lords amendment: No. 2, in page 7, line 14, leave out subsection (4) and insert— (4) Notice must be delivered to a police station—

  1. (a) in the police area in which it is proposed the procession will start, or
  2. (b) where it is proposed the procession will start in Scotland and cross into England, in the first police area in England on the proposed route."

Mr. Douglas Hogg

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Ernest Armstrong)

With this it will be convenient to take Lords amendments Nos. 3 to 5.

Mr. Hogg

I thank the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton (Mr. Kaufman), the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) and my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Hawksley) for their kind words. We all served on the Standing Committee on the Police and Criminal Evidence Bill, which had 59 sittings.

Mr. Alex Carlile

The hon. Gentleman has a badge to prove it.

Mr. Hogg

The hon. and learned Gentleman says that I have a badge to prove it. I do not think that I was given one, but I know that the right hon. Member for Gorton has one to prove it. After 59 sittings, we had subjected the Bill to careful and detailed scrutiny. It was a pleasure to work with hon. Members, and I look forward to doing so again.

It might be helpful if I summarise what the group of amendments will do. Amendment No. 2 is designed to provide that where a public procession of which notice is required under clause I I is to pass through more than one police force area, notice need be given only in the area in which it starts. Paragraph (b) of the amendment provides for marches that start in Scotland. In such cases notice must be given in the first police force area in England through which the march is intended to go.

Amendment No. 3 is a more technical amendment. It is intended to ensure consistency in phraseology throughout.

Amendment No. 4 establishes a requirement that banning orders made under clause 13 and not made in writing should be recorded in writing as soon as practicable thereafter. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure that banning orders, or a record of them, will always be available in writing.

Amendment No. 5 does no more than make explicit what was always implicit.

Mr. Kaufman

We particularly welcome the principle amendment in the group, because we were concerned about the burdens imposed on those organising marches delivering a large number of notices. We therefore welcome the measure and support the Government's acceptance of this group of amendments.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords amendments agreed to.

Forward to