Public health protection: further amendments

I beg to move Amendment No. 243, in schedule 11, page 160, line 4, at end insert—

‘ (1) Section 5 of the 1984 Act (financial provisions as to port health authorities) is amended as follows.

(2) In subsection (2), for the words from “shall” onwards substitute “shall be defrayed by the constituent districts in such proportions and in such manner as may be determined by or in accordance with the order.”

(3) In subsection (3), omit “or rating districts”.’.

With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments Nos. 244, 245 and 246.

A principal aim of the new public health measure is to update the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984. Amendment No. 243 updates section 5 of that Act by removing the obsolete reference to rating districts. Section 5 makes financial provisions in relation to port health authorities, especially for PHAs that are joint boards consisting of two or more constituent authorities.

PHAs are created by an order of the Secretary of State and such an order may state how the expenses of a joint board are to be defrayed. If the order does not state how they are to be defrayed, section 5 sets out a mechanism that uses a common fund to which the constituent districts or rating districts contribute. However, as the relevant definition of rating district in the General Rate Act 1967 has been repealed, the provision is out of date. Amendment No. 243 simply removes the mechanism to which I referred and the others are consequential amendments.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment made: No. 244, in schedule 11, page 166, line 43, at end insert—

‘( ) “rating district”;’.—[Mr. Bradshaw.]

Schedule 11, as amended, agreed to.

Further consideration adjourned.—[Steve McCabe.]

Adjourned accordingly at ten minutes past Seven o’clock till Thursday 24 January at Nine o’clock.