§ Mr. Sean Hughesasked the Secretary of State for Wales on what occasions since June 1979 his Department had to (a) introduce amending legislation to legislation introduced since June 1979, because of doubts about legality or because such legislation had been successfully challenged in the courts and (b) amend or withdraw orders introduced since June 1979, because of doubts about legality or because such orders had been successfully challenged in the courts.
§ Mr. Nicholas Edwards[pursuant to his reply, 26 January 1987]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers recently given to similar questions by my right hon. Friends, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the Secretary of State for the Environment.
I was associated with the introduction of the legislation and the subordinate legislation referred to in those answers apart from the subordinate legislation referred to in the answer of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science and the second statutory instrument referred to in the answer of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
In addition to the legislation and subordinate legislation with which I was associated, I made, together with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Heather and Grass Burning (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 1983 (SI 1984/1439) which amended the Heather and Grass Burning (England and Wales) Regulations 1983 (SI 1983/425). It was considered that the original regulations did not correctly describe some of the areas of land. The amendment regulations remedied the situation by describing the areas of reference to maps.
I also made the Block Grant (Education Adjustments) (Wales) Regulations 1986 (SI 1986/314) which included a new formula for calculating the contributions of local authorities in relation to expenditure on advanced further education, following the decision of the Divisional Court in R v. Secretary of State for Education and Science exparte Inner London Education Authority (1985) The Times 20 June. This instrument superseded the Block Grant (Education Adjustments) (Wales) Regulations 1984 (SI 1984/284).