Land Drainage Bill [H.L.] (Hansard, 4 July 1994)

The Earl of Lindsay
My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third time. I am pleased to bring the Bill before your Lordships for its Third Reading. The Bill aims to reinforce the current trend towards more environmentally friendly flood defence and land drainage policies and practices. The measures it contains have attracted support from the drainage authorities and conservation bodies alike and, I believe, from all sides of your Lordships' House as well.
There is now a greater spirit of co-operation and consensus in the countryside on environmental matters. As a fanner and landowner, I am keen to see that trend continue, especially as a large part of it is based on common sense and sound practice. The debates we have had have demonstrated that farmers and landowners have nothing to fear from the Bill. I firmly believe that the three modest and simple proposals it contains will further foster that constructive co-operation, by helping to ensure that flood defence operations take due account of both conservation interests and economic interests.
I thank all noble Lords who have spoken in support of the Bill and those who at Second Reading, Committee and Report stages helped me to explain the principles behind it. I am particularly grateful to the noble Baroness, Lady Nicol, the noble Earl, Lord Lytton, the noble Lord, Lord Gallacher, the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont, and my noble friend Lord Addison. Noble Lords have been assiduous in searching for the principles which lie behind the Bill. My noble friend Lord Howe has also been most helpful in providing assurances of the Government's intention with regard to 1061 the Bill, particularly in connection with the proposed ministerial power of direction over internal drainage boards. I am grateful to him and to the Government for their active support.
With the support of the Government and, I hope, of the other parties, and with backing from a wide range of outside organisations, having both economic and conservation interests in the countryside, I very much hope that the Bill will be successful both in this House and in another place. In that spirit, I commend it to the House. I beg to move.

The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)
My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Lindsay on the way he has handled the passage of this Bill through your Lordships' House. He has taken great pains to ensure that there is the widest possible consensus behind the Bill and to see that the issues it raises have been aired thoroughly and openly. The very useful debates we have had at Committee and Report stages have, I believe, clarified the Bill's purpose and effect most usefully. The Bill has had full scrutiny in your Lordships' House.
As I said at an earlier stage, the measures in the Bill have the whole-hearted support of the Government. The Bill strengthens the role played by internal drainage boards and local authorities in maintaining and enhancing conservation while carrying out their flood defence and land drainage activities and so is fully in line with the Government's flood and coastal defence strategy. It builds on the tremendous progress made in recent years by IDBs and local councils in balancing the requirements of flood defence, economic activity and conservation. And it complements other initiatives such as the negotiation of water level management plans locally in areas of special drainage need.
I have been heartened by the welcome that the Bill has received from all sides of the House and from many outside organisations. I know that anxieties have been expressed by noble Lords as regards the future of the Bill in another place. I can assure the House that the Government will do all that they can to assist its progress there.

§ Lord Beaumont of Whitley
My Lords, I too congratulate the noble Earl on piloting the Bill through this House and assure him and the Government that we on these Benches are thoroughly behind it. Our only regret is that although the Government intend to give it all the support they can in another place it is not a government Bill and therefore not necessarily assured of a safe passage immediately.
As I have said before and doubtless will say again, if, instead of some of the Bills which are sponsored by the Government, we got from them Bills which have universal support in the House we would all be a lot happier and the country might be much better off. Having said that, we very much welcome the Bill and the way in which it has passed through your Lordships' House with full scrutiny and assurances given.

The Earl of Lindsay
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Beaumont and my noble friend the Minister for their support. I thank also noble Lords who spoke at earlier stages of the Bill. I am sure that the measures the Bill contains will be of benefit to local communities and to the public interest generally. I welcome what my noble friend the Minister said about the Government's continued support for the measure in another place. I hope very much that it will soon reach the statute book. I commend the Bill to the House and ask that it be given a Third Reading.

The Earl of Lindsay
My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.