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Housing and Regeneration Bill

moved Amendment No. 116D: 116D: Clause 318, page 145, line 18, at end insert— ““( ) Subsection (3) does not apply to an instrument containing an order under section 319 if the order does not amend or repeal a provision of a public general Act.”” The noble Baroness said: Before I move the lead amendment in the final group, perhaps I may say that the Committee stage has been exceptionally productive. I am very grateful for noble Lords' patience and understanding as we have ploughed through a long and sometimes very technical Committee stage. I hope they will agree that it has been a positive experience and that they are looking forward to Report as much as I am. Between now and the next stage, I should be very happy to meet any noble Lord who has any problems. I look forward to continuing the dialogue. This is a group of government amendments. They are technical and give effect to a recommendation of the Delegated Powers and Regulated Reform Committee in respect of the power to make consequential amendments under Clause 319. If the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith, will allow me, I shall speak to his amendment at the same time. At present, all orders under Clause 319 are subject to the affirmative procedure. The committee's view is that this procedure is appropriate only when an Act is amended, and we agree with that assessment. The amendments before us, Amendments Nos. 116D, 117AB, 117ABA, 117AC and 117AD will do that. For technical reasons, the amendments are being made to Clause 318 because it sets out the procedures that will apply to all the powers to make subordinate legislation. The mea culpa part of my explanation is that it was not our intention to agree to Amendment No. 110XD during our sitting last Wednesday. As I recall there was a bit of mayhem around the Committee—