Clause 83 - Crown application
Water Bill [Lords]
9:00 am
Mr Elliot Morley (Minister of State (Environment and Agri-Environment), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Scunthorpe, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman is right. New subsection (4) deals with national security. A site may fall within the powers of the Act, but for reasons of national security the Secretary of State can declare that the powers of entry do not apply. Because these are Crown estates and Crown bodies, in circumstances where there is a matter of security the site is likely, though not certain, to be a Ministry of Defence property. If there were a need for access to carry out duties under the Bill, it would be a matter for negotiation between the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State at the Department concerned.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 83 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clause 84 ordered to stand part of the Bill.