HL Deb 27 January 1981 vol 416 cc626-7

2.46 p.m.

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Aberdare)

My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. I should like to extend to the House the apologies of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Cross of Chelsea. He was in fact the chairman of the Hybrid Instruments Committee on this occasion and he would normally have presented this report, but unfortunately he is unable to be with us this afternoon, and he specifically asked me to move the report on his behalf and apologise to your Lordships. I beg to move.

Moved, That the First Report from the Hybrid Instruments Committee be agreed to and that there should be further inquiry by a Select Committee to consider whether, in the light of the matters complained of in the petitions against the order, the area specified in the order should be designated as an urban development area under Part XVI of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980.—(Lord Aberdare.)

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, in relation to the first part of the Motion, which is that the First Report from the Hybrid Instruments Committee be agreed to, I wonder whether the noble Lord the Chairman of Committees could elucidate one matter of at any rate some obscurity, if not ambiguity, which arises in the report in the last paragraph on page 2: For the purposes of this inquiry the Committee recommend that, in addition to the order, the petitions and the representations in writing already deposited, the Select Committee should consider any representations which may be submitted complaining of matters raised in a petition referred to them". Is that provision intended to assist the petitioners or to increase their difficulties and aid the proponents of the order? What is the purpose of those words, which at any rate are not wholly clear to me?

Lord Aberdare

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble and learned Lord for drawing attention to what is a fairly obscure paragraph. I will do my best to explain it. It is indeed for the benefit of the petitioners. The fact is that the committee will be restricted to hearing the Government agents and also the representatives of the petitioners who are listed in the report. But, of course, a number of petitioners have not only objected to the order in general but have had a number of different suggestions and proposals to make on the minutiae of the boundaries of the development area. One or other of them may well wish to disagree with what appears in the other petitions on these rather more detailed matters. This is merely to allow any one petitioner to put forward their case to the committee on proposals that occur in another petitioner's petition. It really is for the benefit of the petitioners and for no other reason.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord the Lord Chairman for that elucidation.

On Question, Motion agreed to.