HL Deb 28 January 1986 vol 470 cc544-5

3 p.m.

Lord Walston

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now resolve itself into Committee on this Bill.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Walston.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[The LORD ABERDARE in the Chair.]

Clause 1 [Discharge of oil from vessels into certain United Kingdom waters]:

Lord Walston moved Amendment No. 1: Page 1, line 11, leave out from ("for") to ("is") in line 12 and insert ("the time being").

The noble Lord said: This is a very short and simple amendment, basically a drafting one, but I think it might be advisable to point out that it gives the additional advantage, as well as drafting clarity, of a certain amount of flexibility in the future. The new wording makes that possible and, without in any way altering the essence of the Bill, what it is intending to do and the methods that it is adopting will make it more likely that the future will present no difficulties at all. I beg to move.

Viscount Davidson

The Government welcome this amendment, which as the noble Lord, Lord Walston, has said, provides a useful clarification of the definition of "baseline" for the purposes of the Bill. If the 1964 order is altered subsequent to the Bill becoming law, it will not be clear which baseline is being referred to in the Bill: the baseline of the 1964 order, as amended in 1979, or the new baseline. The better view is that it would be the old baseline. The amendment makes it clear that it will be the baselines in force at the time that are meant.

This amendment does not affect any future decision as to the possible extension of territorial waters, as the baseline is quite different from the outer boundary. The Government support the amendment.

On Question, amendment agreed to.

Lord Walston moved Amendment No. 2: Page 2, line 11, after ("is") insert ("of a kind or is made in circumstances").

The noble Lord said: I do not think that I need detain your Lordships with any explanation of this amendment, which is a purely drafting one. I beg to move.

Viscount Davidson

I rise again briefly on behalf of the Government to welcome this amendment and to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Walston, on the clarity of his exposition.

On Question, amendment agreed to.

Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining clause agreed to.

House resumed: Bill reported with the amendments.