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Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I speak to Amendment 177. This is, I hope, just a drafting issue. If not, it might turn out to be a much bigger problem than originally anticipated. The amendment inserts the words ““an automatic”” into Clause 70(7), so that it would read, ““No person has an automatic right to be heard at an examination in public””. When I read the line for the first time as drafted, I was startled. It appeared to say that no one at all would be given a right to be heard at an examination in public. I presume that that was not what it was meant to say, and I hope that my amendment will allow the Minister to clarify the issue. The drafting of my amendment might not be perfect, but the current drafting of subsection (7) is much worse and should be tightened up. The examination in public, as I am sure the noble Baroness will agree, is an important element in accountability. It would be unacceptable if the drafting of the clause created an unintentional loophole whereby no one would ever be granted a right to be heard.