HC Deb 20 February 1992 vol 204 cc516-7
Mr. McLoughlin

I beg to move amendment No. 18, in page 1, line 21, leave out from 'instrument' to 'House' in line 22 and insert '; but no order shall be made unless a draft of it has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each'.

Madam Deputy Speaker (Miss Betty Boothroyd)

With this it will be convenient to take Government amendment No. 19.

Mr. McLoughlin

These two amendments fulfil an undertaking that I gave in Committee to provide what at least the hon. Member for Bradford, South (Mr. Cryer) will regard as a better form of parliamentary scrutiny of ministerial orders that prescribe modes of guided transport and descriptions of works which interfere with rights of navigation and therefore extend the scope of the order-making powers under clauses 1 and 3.

Ms. Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent, North)

It is always nice to get to the stage of having secured some concessions from the Government. We are grateful for those.

There is one aspect on which I should like to press the Minister further, relating to Government amendment No. 19. Why does not the amendment apply to the whole of clause 3? Clearly it is important that we have the affirmative resolution procedure. Perhaps I should try to string out my comments so that the relevant message, in the relevant handwriting, can reach the Minister.

As things stand, I do not know whether the Minister has been generous in respect of amendment No. 19, or whether he is trying to give the impression that it relates to all the concerns that we expressed in Committee. What worries me is that what he has come up with, in the shape of amendment No. 19, relates only to such things as tidal barrages, and not to the wider issues of canals and rivers. How generous is the Minister actually being? Why do these amendments not go further? Why do they not extend to the whole of clause 3? Can the Minister, either at this stage or at some later stage, give us some assurance about this matter?

Mr. McLoughlin

The amendment certainly fulfils the commitment that we gave in Committee. I think that I pointed out in Committee the difficulties that we would have in extending this all the way along the line, and that there was not the need. We shall come at a later stage to some of the points about waterways that the hon. Lady may want to talk about.

Amendment agreed to.

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