Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 1:30 pm on 18 June 2009.
This is an historic moment; I think an amendment is actually going to be accepted. Perhaps we ought to have a hallelujah chorus at this stage in the proceedings. However, I am intrigued by the amendment, which would delete a subsection that states:
Nothing in this Act shall impose any charge on the people or on public funds, or vary the amount or incidence of or otherwise alter any such charge.
In other words, the statement in the Bill that there will be no charge to individuals or public funds is being deleted, so presumably there will be a charge. If the provision is wrong, how did it get there in the first place? The amendment, in practice, reverses a position. It is not a drafting amendment; it is a substantive amendment. I should like to know a little bit about it. It is nice to have an echo of the previous Minister in this Committee, even in one amendment, but I am intrigued by what it is all about.
We learn something every day, Mr. Illsley.