Clause
251
Suspension
of
duties
Question
proposed, That the clause stand part of the
Bill.
Mr.
Raynsford:
I am a little surprised about the inclusion of
this clause. As I read it, it essentially says that despite all our
efforts to define the benefits and purpose of sustainability
certificates, in the extremely unlikely event of the Opposition getting
into government by some mishap, they could simply use the clause to
suspend the scheme immediately without having to repeal the Bill. I do
not know quite why we should want to make life easy for the Opposition
in that way.
The hon.
Member for Welwyn Hatfield has made frequent noises about doing away
with HIPs, which would be a great mistake because they are valuable and
useful and will be popular by the time he has the prospect of being on
the Government Front Bench, if that time ever comes. He would
undoubtedly have second thoughts at that stage, but given that he has
made that commitment it would be interesting to know whether the
Opposition would make use of the clause to repeal sustainability
certificates. I understand that my hon. Friend the Minister cannot
possibly answer for him, but it would be interesting to have an
indication of whether the Opposition would use the clause in that way.
It appears to have been prepared for their
benefit.
Alistair
Burt:
No. I am demob happy, so if anything I say turns out
not to be party policy, it will be quite straightforward—I was
out of office at the time when I said
it.
I cannot see
anything that we have said that would give the right hon. Gentleman the
concerns that he has. The provision is in the Bill not because of an
amendment that we have tabled but because the Government have put it
there. His suspicions would be far better directed towards his own
Front Bench. He should ask under what circumstances use of the clause
would be considered—perhaps when as able and effective a
Minister as the one before us is moved to some other place, someone
else might come along and seek to make use of it. Perhaps the clause
would be suspended if new homes were flooded, as some presumably are in
the west country at the moment. I do not know, but nothing that has
been said by the Opposition either on Second Reading or in Committee
could give the right hon. Gentleman cause to raise the concerns that he
has mentioned. We rest our
case.
Question put
and agreed
to.
Clause 251
ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Clauses
252 to 259 ordered to stand part of the
Bill.
Further
consideration adjourned.—[Liz
Blackman.]
Adjourned
accordingly at twenty-nine minutes past Three o’clock till
Tuesday 22 January at half-past Ten
o’clock.
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