§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what occasions since April 1992 Ministers from his Department have(a) requested parliamentary counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.
§ Mr. NorrisParliamentary counsel drafts not on behalf of private Members but on the instructions of Departments acting on the authority of Ministers.
With the authority of Ministers, amendments were drafted by parliamentary counsel on instructions from my Department and subsequently passed to private Members in respect of the Merchant Shipping (Registration of Ships) etc. Act 1993 and the Merchant Shipping (Salvage & Pollution) Bill.