Lords Amendment: In page 27, line 44, at end, insert: within two years after it has come to their knowledge that such development has been so carried out or that such conditions have not been complied with.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

I merely want to say that I regret that the Government have not been able to accept a period of less than two years after the matter comes to their notice. So far as I am aware, this is the longest period that has ever been put in an Act of Parliament with regard to the time in which Government authorities ought to make up their minds whether or not to take proceedings. Six months is common. A year has been known in certain cases, but even in complicated matters like insurance, it is either six months or a year. Here two years will be taken to make up their minds whether to do anything. The Bill is better than it was originally, but one ought to draw attention to the fact that the Government machine is now being so overloaded that they find it necessary to have two years in which to make up their mind about something.