Clause 53 - Power of street authority to
Traffic Management Bill
5:15 pm
Mr Tony McNulty (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport; Harrow East, Labour)
I have already said that, after full consultation with the local authorities and utilities and once we have the draft regulations, I am more than happy that some scope should be afforded to members of the Committee to explore the regulations in far greater detail. Indeed, once the local government side has been fully consulted, I can foresee even wider consultation, beyond the Committee.
To be entirely fair, in the first instance the Select Committee was considering pre-legislative scrutiny of the entire Bill, not only of the regulations, so I am not sure whether that is an appropriate avenue. I do not know whether the august Chair of that Committee would welcome detailed scrutiny of regulations, similar to the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill to which she alluded. However, I shall reflect on the matter. It is certainly right and proper that we engage with the entire Committee, and even, as we did at the start of the Bill, afford time for other hon. Members to go through the draft regulations with departmental officials.
We want to get the regulations right before they go through the affirmative or negative resolution procedure. In the context of what I have already said about sharing draft regulations with the members of the Committee, perhaps affording them the chance to go through the draft regulations with officials before they come before Parliament, I am more than happy for there to be greater scrutiny.
I am not entirely sure whether it needs to go formally through the Select Committee, but I will reflect on it. However, the hon. Gentleman can be assured that I want the greatest consultation and scrutiny on and of the regulations. I want them to be dealt with properly; and when they are put into effect, I want them to be of practical advantage to the utilities and local authorities. That is what we seek from the entire Bill.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 53 ordered to stand part of the Bill.