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Amendment 141 allows us to pay another visit to the playing field to ensure that the utility companies are not playing uphill against the wind and the rain.
What do the local authorities think? With the exception of the service of a charge, which I see as a bit of a retrograde step, the bill is a definite improvement.
I can understand the concern about that, but it is the exception to the rule, and there would therefore need to be a good reason for the accused to be allowed in before that would happen.
We want to be able to set limits on the money that local authorities are able to make from agreements entered into with no particular public purpose. The only exception to that is where ministers have given consent to an agreement that would otherwise breach the limits.
If the Procedures Committee wanted to change that requirement with regard to a private bills committee, a specific exception would have to be made.The point about the difficulty of achieving party political balance in a committee with five members is important.
In what circumstances would advisers advise a minister to use his exceptional power of direction? The answer to the first question is no: the power of direction has never been used.