Clause 4 - Procedure for dealing with complaints
High Hedges Bill
10:45 am
Mr David Madel (South West Bedfordshire, Conservative)
Clause 4 deals with the tricky subject of money. Clause 4(1)(b) refers to a complaint that
``is accompanied by such fee (if any) as the authority may determine.''
Clause 4(8) states that a fee
``must not exceed the prescribed amount''.
If a fee is to be charged, will it be uniform throughout the country, and what will the local authority do with the money?
I hope that there will not be differential fees, because that would cause trouble. I am glad to see that the hon. Member for Luton, North is present, as he will know that the subsidy for pensioners' bus fares in Luton differs from that in south Bedfordshire. I will not explain the reasons for that, but I wish to draw to the attention of my hon. Friend the Member for Solihull that differential fees might cause controversy.