HC Deb 23 June 1993 vol 227 cc359-60
Mr. Jack

I beg to move amendment No. 14, in page 6, line 41, leave out '21' and insert '14'.

Madam Deputy Speaker

With this, it will be convenient to discuss Government amendment No. 15.

Mr. Jack

The Government were subjected to strong words—perhaps "attack" is too forceful a word—in Committee about their failure to listen and to take into account some of the interesting ideas that the Opposition put forward. We did listen, however, because the amendments respond to an interesting, sensible proposition from the Opposition.

Clause 7 would enable Ministers to require any person to supply them with the information that they need to decide whether to approve a milk marketing board reorganisation scheme or any application from a board for a variation or withdrawal of its scheme. It provides that if Ministers require information from the milk marketing board to which the reorganisation scheme relates and the board fails to provide that information, its application is treated as having been withdrawn.

The Bill currently gives a board 21 days to show that any failure to supply information was accidental. In Committee the Government agreed to consider a reduction in that limit to 14 days. We accepted that suggestion, hence the amendment. Amendment No. 15 introduces a parallel change for the potato marketing board.

I thank Opposition Members for their suggestion and I am delighted that I have been able to move the amendment.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

I dreamt that one up in the bath.

Amendment agreed to.

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