Clause 20 - Directions
Local Government Bill
3:15 pm
Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 45, in
clause 20, page 8, line 19, leave out 'in writing' and insert 'made by regulation.'.
We have had this argument more than once in the short time I have been on the Bill. Primary legislation is one thing; regulations by secondary legislation are a lesser thing; and directions, at a Secretary of State's whim, lack any form or scrutiny or control by this democratically elected Parliament. While I can understand the need for directions in dire circumstances, on the whole they should be avoided. Hence, we suggest in our amendment that the directions should be made by regulation. Will the Minister tell us what he expects the directions to contain, and provide some examples. That is important, and people reading the Hansard report of our proceedings would expect that.