§ Lord StrathclydeMy Lords, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to acquaint the House that they, having been informed of the purport of the Party Wall etc. Bill, have consented to place their prerogatives and interests, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.
Bill read a third time.
§ The Earl of LyttonMy Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass.
It is customary at this stage of the Bill to make some comments about those who have been of great assistance. I should like to do so very briefly.
First, I express my appreciation for the support that I have received in this House. I particularly valued the support from the Opposition Benches and from the noble Lord, Lord Dubs. I thank the Opposition Chief Whip who sat patiently through the Committee stage; I am extremely grateful to him. I am grateful for the expressions of support which I received from the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and from my fellow chartered surveyor the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull. I should like to express my sincere thanks to the Minister, the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, for his support and wise counsel.
Through the Minister, I should like to thank the officials of the Department of the Environment, in particular Mr. Paul Everall, Caroline Cousins, Mr. Ian Day and Mr. Andrew Viner of the legal section of the department. My thanks are also due to parliamentary counsel for his input.
I pay tribute to the officers of this House and in particular to the Public Bill Office for its advice and assistance in my novitiate in taking this Bill through your Lordships' House. I thank the Government Whips' Office for its help at all times. I thank also the staff of the Library who have dug up for me arcane documents and references. I am grateful for the support and advice of the Pyramus and Thisbe Club, which is a body of practitioners in party wall matters which has devoted time and energy to giving advice on the Bill.
This Bill goes to another place with all-party support. It has the support of many bodies outside the House—the Construction Industry Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the British Property Federation, the Architects and Surveyors Institute, the Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers and my own professional body, which is the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. I have received many unsolicited letters of support from private individuals and professionals, and the number of articles expressing support in professional journals as well as the national press convince me that the tried and tested provisions of the London Building Acts, which this Bill seeks to emulate, will indeed be of lasting net benefit to the rest of England and Wales.
1576 Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(The Earl of Lytton.)
On Question, Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.