§ Mr. L. Thomasasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement on the preparation of a Bill to consolidate the enactments relating to highways.
§ Mr. WatkinsonA draft Bill has been prepared which will be examined by a Committee which the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs and I have set up with the following terms of reference
To examine, with a view to consolidation, the public general enactments relating to highways, streets and bridges in England and Wales, other than enactments designed to regulate traffic or applying exclusively to London; to consider which of the enactments should be consolidated and what amendments not of substantial importance (including consequential amendments of the common law and the general enactment of non-controversial provisions commonly found in local Acts) are desirable, in connection with the consolidation, either to improve the form of the law or for the removal of anomalies, inconsistencies and ambiguities, for abrogating provisions which are obsolete or otherwise unnecessary or for modernising procedure; and to report whether in the opinion of the Committee the draft Bill submitted to them, either as submitted or with such alterations as they think fit to suggest, satisfactorily achieves such a consolidation and embodies no amendment of the law of such importance that it ought to be separately enacted.I am glad to say that the Most Hon. the Marquess of Reading, G.C.M.G., C.B.E., M.C., T.D., Q.C., has agreed to act as Chairman.
The other members are:
The hon. Member for Buckinghamshire, South (Mr. Ronald M. Bell).
The hon. Member for Liverpool, Edge Hill (Mr. Arthur J. Irvine).
Mr. J. G. Barr, Solicitor and Parliamentary Officer, London County Council.
Mr. P. C. Davie, City Remembrancer, Corporation of London.
Mrs. E. A. Eadie, A Deputy Counsel, Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury.
44WMr. T. H. Evans, C.B.E., Clerk of the Staffordshire County Council, representing the County Councils Association.
Mr. H. S. Haslam, Secretary, Urban District Councils Association.
Mr. B. Honour, C.B., MC., Head of Highway Law Consolidation Branch, Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
Mr. V. J. Lewis, An Assistant Solicitor, Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
Mr. Reep Lintern, An Under Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
Mr. R. H. McCall, Town Clerk, Winchester, representing the Association of Municipal Corporations.
Mr. J. J. McIntyre, C.B.E., Secretary, Rural District Councils Association.
Mr. A. N. Schofield, Town Clerk, Southampton, respresenting the Association of Municipal Corporations.
Mr. C. F. Thatcher, Town Clerk, Fulham, representing the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee.
Mr. J. A. Turner, O.B.E., Clerk of the Northamptonshire County Council, representing the County Councils Association.
The Secretary of the Committee is Mr. S. Emm, M.B.E., of the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, 21–37, Hereford Road, London, W.2, and the Assistant Secretary is Mr. G. C. Davies of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.