Clause41
Commons Bill [Lords]
Public Bill Committees, 27 April 2006, 1:45 pm
David Drew (Stroud, Labour)
I understand what my hon. Friend is saying. Obviously, I shall not be pressing the amendment to a Division, but I am interested in the difference between someone who blocks a common and someone who blocks a road. A local authority has a duty to keep the highway open as, incidentally, do members of the public, who operate under a power if they see someone blocking the highway for whatever reason. The clause is really about consistency and making sure that local authorities do what they should do. As we know from previous debates, there are cases where, because of the parking of a vehicle or some other reason, a local authority can choose to do nothing. That is just not acceptable.