§ [The references are to Bill [100—] as first printed for the House of Commons]
§ Clause 1, page 1, line 13, after ("authorisation") insert ("or (except with the consent of the Minister) by a person other than the one named in the application for the authorisation as he who will be the owner of the line").
128§ 3.32 p.m.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, I must endeavour to be accurate about this and start straight away by saying that this Amendment resulted from an undertaking given to the Opposition in another place. It was thought that the Minister, when he had satisfied himself of the bona fides of a person who has authorisation, or has been granted an authorisation, to construct a pipe-line, should be able to see that the construction is carried out by that person without change, otherwise there might be some danger that the pipe-line would be left half finished, that land might be inadequately restored, or, what would be rather more serious, that there would be a danger of some lapse from the standards of safety. I do not think that these risks were very likely to materialise and it would certainly be difficult to prevent any change in the ownership of a company to whom the authorisation had been granted as opposed to the transfer of the authorisation from one individual to another. But even if the risks are small it was thought that there would certainly be something to be said for trying to improve the safeguards in this respect, and that is what this first Amendment does. I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Chesham.)
§ THE EARL OF LUCANMy Lords, would it be correct to say that this Amendment goes a long way to meet the point that my noble friend Lord Shepherd made in moving an Amendment on Third Reading? It appears to be the same in substance.
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, it does not go quite so far as he wanted to go, but it certainly moves in the same direction.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.