HC Deb 21 July 1987 vol 120 cc293-4

Lords amendment: No. 175, in page 85, line 41, leave out constructing or carrying out works of maintenance on

and insert carrying out any work for the construction or maintenance of

Mr. Mitchell

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this we shall take Lords amendments Nos. 176 to 182 and 184 to 204.

Mr. Mitchell

Those amendments deal with a variety o matters relating to protective provisions agreed before the Select Committee of another place. They concern water, sewerage, drainage and workings at sea and provide additional protection to the statutory undertakings involved.

Mr. Snape

I have been assured by Conservative Members that there are no more pages of amendments. Therefore, I take the opportunity on this last group of amendments, on what I hope is the last day of debate on the Bill, to thank the Minister of State for his courtesy and attention to detail over the past year. It has been much appreciated. Sometimes the content of his answers has not been appreciated by Labour Members of by members of the two Committees on which I have served but, despite our political differences, at all times he has tried to meet the various, sometimes conflicting amendments and advice, for which we are all grateful.

9.15 pm
Mr. Bob Cryer (Bradford, South)

I want to briefly comment on the water, sewerage and drainage aspects of the amendments. Mr. Deputy Speaker, as you will appreciate, the Bill wended its way through the House while I was not present. Therefore, I want to place on record my complete opposition to this wretched Channel tunnel venture. It has nothing whatever to do with transport. It is designed to pour huge sums of public money—

Mr. Deputy Speaker

Order. The hon. Member cannot seek to make now the speech that he might have made had he been a Member of the House when the Bill was debated. I hope that he will address his remarks to the amendments before the House.

Mr. Cryer

I am concerned with the cost of the water, sewerage and drainage facilities that will arise as part of the huge amount of public expenditure for a tunnel that is designed only to link us closer to the Common Market and which is not of advantage to the country.

Mr. Mitchell

If the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) had been a Member of the House at the time he would have heard those comments made by a number of other hon. Members. I thank the hon. Member for West Bromwich, East (Mr. Snape) for his kind remarks. The Bill has been considerably improved in its passage through the various processes of the House and of the other place, the Standing Committee and the Select Committee, and hon. Members on both sides of the House have played a significant part in achieving that improvement.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords amendments agreed to.