§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Attorney-General whether he will introduce legislation to amend Section 19 of the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1971 so as to enable the Lord Chancellor to make Orders under Section 19(2) bringing within the scope of the Council on Tribunals the rules for the conduct of non-statutory inquiries such as those contained in paragraph 15 of Department of 615W the Environment Circular 123/75, by which the Treasury can blacklist building contractors; and whether we will make a statement.
§ The Attorney-GeneralIt is not my noble Friend's intention to introduce such legislation. Paragraph 15 of Department of the Environment Circular 123/75 does not establish a procedure for which formal rules would be appropriate, nor does my noble Friend consider that the Tribunals and Inquiries Act 1971 could properly be extended to such cases. He agrees that, in the circumstances envisaged by that paragraph, a building contractor should have ample opportunity to make representations on his own behalf and my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has assured the hon. Member, in replying to his Question on 10th March, that this will be done.