CAB128-94_A1b — Page 152

AMENTARY

buse

ommons usiness

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1. THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL said that a group of Members of Parliament with constituencies in mining areas had sought to disrupt Government business in the Commons earlier that week. They were principally concerned about the further progress of a Private Bill, the Associated British Ports (No 2) Bill. A motion to carry over this Bill to the next

IDENT

7

Parliamentary session was due to be debated the following week and the MPS concerned had responded to the tabling of this by prolonging proceedings on the Children and Companies Bills, ontrary to the timetable agreed with the opposition. As a result, a timetable motion on the two Bills would be moved later that day, following questions on the Business Statement. This

old provide for proceedings on the Companies Bill to be completed by 1.00 am the following day and for those on the Children Bill and the Ways and Means Motion on the Football Spectators Bill to be completed by the end of business on the following day. The possibility of the mining group of MPS deploying further disruptive tactics for example, during Commons consideration of Lords amendments on the Local Government and Housing Bill could not be ruled out, although the opportunity for this would not arise until after the carry- over motion an Associated British Ports Bill had been

debated.

The Cabinet.

1.

Took note.

ONFIDENT

ocal Government

THE LORD PRIVY SEAL said that

nd Housing ill

Government had suffered two

defeats during the Report Stage of the Local Government and Housing Bill in the House of Lords the previous evening. The first had been when an amendment Vad been carried against Government advice to prevent partners of rural homes built by housing associations selling their interest on the open market. Although the Country Landowners Association had been persuaded to accept the Government's approach, they had failed to brief their supporters and there had been support for the amendment from all sides of the House. The other defeat had resulted from an Opposition ambush on an amendment curbing the right-to-buy provisions on houses suitable for the eldery and disabled.

these two

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT sada reverses should not detract from the considerable success which the Ministers handling the Bill and the Business Managers had had in progressing the rest of the Bill, much of it potentially far more controversial, through the House of Lords. The issues on which the defeats had been sustained were also controversial

1

ENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

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