Proceeding contribution from Duke of Montrose (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 12 May 2009. It occurred during Debate on bill on Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL].

Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

My Lords, from this Dispatch Box, I thank the Minister for explaining the very varied amendments in this group. They indicate the complexities of drafting legislation dealing with devolution, and I am very glad that the Minister’s officials have caught the inconsistencies in the Bill and dealt with the necessary requirements. Amendment 102 concerns dredging in the North Sea and, if I am not mistaken, we have now found the slot in which the Minister was going to bring forward something about coal. However, I am still slightly puzzled. Considering that in Section D3 under Schedule 5 to the Scotland Act, headed "Coal", deep and opencast coal mining and coal mining subsidence are reserved matters, why would opencast mining under the sea be a devolved matter, as stated earlier by the Minister? If that is true, when was this power devolved?

Secondary information

Type: Proceeding contribution
Reference: 710 c977
Session: 2008-09
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Devolved matters Common fisheries policy Coal Coastal areas Fisheries Licensing Environment protection Exemptions Electric cables Local government Oil Planning Mining Nature conservation Minerals Scotland Wales Repairs and maintenance Shipping Seas and oceans Marine Management Organisation Marine conservation zones
Legislation: Marine and Coastal Access Bill (HL) 2008-09
Link: View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk

Marine and Coastal Access Bill [HL]

Secondary information

Librarians' tools