HL Deb 07 February 1985 vol 459 c1275

Report received.

Clause 1 [Access to records of statutory and temporary allotment gardens]:

Lord Wallace of Coslany moved the following amendment: Page 1, line 12, leave out ("to facilitate the preparation of") and insert ("in order that such allotment gardens organisations desiring to do so may prepare").

The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move the amendment standing in my name on the Marshalled List. I wish to explain to your Lordships that during the proceedings at Committee stage the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, hinted to me that the new clause I had moved was unclear in the first subsection. I always take the noble Lord very seriously, even when he is in his most provocative mood, as he so frequently is. So I went away and took advice; and confirmation was received that the noble Lord was quite right. Therefore I now submit this amendment, which should clarify the situation beyond all doubt.

In so doing, I would assure the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, and others that what we are asking for in this amendment and in the clause itself is information which is really desired. The problem is that the Department of the Environment has ceased to keep statistics but local associations need these in order to assess the position in their own areas and in adjoining areas. They are important, and in the circumstances we have decided that it would be better that the associations would do the job themselves. I know for a fact that there is no shadow of doubt that the local authorities can and do make these figures available and therefore there will be no difficulty. I beg to move.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Wallace, has made himself crystal clear, as does this amendment. I am very happy that he should have listened to the advice, which, as he knows very well, was passed through me from other sources.

On Question, amendment agreed to.