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Canterbury City Council Bill [Lords] (By Order)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is why it is so important that a particular issue in a particular locality should be dealt with in tightly defied terms in private legislation so that it is not taken on board by other councils and usurped by the detrimental effects to which my hon. Friend draws attention. In dealing with clause 11, my hon. Friend the Member for Canterbury has responded constructively to the concerns expressed about the provisions relating to touting in this Bill that are not in the other Bills. I hope that he will be similarly helpful on my other points. His Bill is different from the other Bills because of the provisions of clause 7, which is all about the seizure of perishable items. The two previous Bills we have considered make no provision for the seizure of perishable items. Indeed, they are specifically excluded from those Bills. I hope that my hon. Friend can explain the background to the provisions because clause 7 is a major clause and it is not referred to, even en passant, in the promoter's statement. Were it not for the assiduous work of Members in scrutinising the Bill, many people would be unaware of the powers to seize perishable items contained within. As my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley said, a precedent could be set, and my hon. Friend the Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone) made the same point. Clause 7 states:"““(1) No perishable item shall be seized…unless the authorised officer…gives a document under subsection (2) to the person…""(2) Where a perishable item is seized…the person from whom it is seized must be given a document””." It continues:"““The council or the police shall store any perishable item seized under section 6 at the appropriate temperature,””" It does not specify the temperature. The clause goes on:"““If the person from whom a perishable item was so seized fails to collect it within 48 hours of the seizure the council or the police may dispose of it.””"