HL Deb 05 July 1960 vol 224 cc1026-8

3.36 p.m.

Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Lord Balfour of Inchrye.)

LORD MACPHERSON OF DRUMOCHTER

My Lords, before this Bill is read a third time I should like to express, on behalf of supporters of the measure, our warmest thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Balfour of Inchrye, for his courteous and skilful pilotage of this Bill through all its stages in your Lordships' House.

VISCOUNT BRENTFORD

My Lords, I rise to support very briefly the Third Reading of this Bill. On the Second Reading I called the attention of the House to certain apprehensions which were felt by the National Sea Fisheries Association with regard to the provisions of the Bill. My noble friend Lord Airedale put down an Amendment which he moved on the Committee stage, and in reply my noble friend Lord Balfour of Inchrye was good enough to suggest certain formulæ which would have met us entirely, had they been proposed by Her Majesty's Government. My noble friend withdrew his Amendment, but I am happy to be able to assure the House that the noble Earl, Lord Waldegrave, on behalf of the Government, accepted the proposals made by my noble friend Lord Balfour of Inchrye. I should like to express to the noble Lord, Lord Balfour of Inchrye, and to the Government the thanks and appreciation of the Association for their attitude in this matter.

LORD TEVIOT

My Lords, I agree with what has been said about the Bill, and I would also ask my noble friend who has conducted it through this House with such ability whether he has had any serious complaints with regard to the lake in St. James's Park. Apparently there is something happening there which causes a very terrible smell, and I hope that the noble Lord, when he gets an opportunity, will use his influence to see that something is done about that as soon as possible.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, it is not customary to make speeches in your Lordships' House on Third Reading, but I should like to have your Lordships' permission just to thank the two noble Lords who have spoken on this Bill and to say I am delighted that the very reasonable points of view put forward on the Committee stage have been adequately met. On the point made by my noble friend Lord Teviot, I would point out that this Bill is one for controlling new outlets for discharges of sewage effluent into tidal water or parts of the sea. I have yet to learn that the lake at St. James's Park is either tidal or part of an estuary. Nevertheless, I feel that on this whole subject of cleaner water there is the "wind of change" sweeping over the country, and I can only hope that there will be a change of wind when next my noble friend Lord Teviot crosses St. James's Park.

On Question, Bill read 3a, with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.