Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 5 Rhagfyr 1973.
Mr Fred Mulley
, Sheffield Park
12:00,
5 Rhagfyr 1973
But this case is rather different from the normal planning problems because the Secretary of State is the promoter—if not directly, then through the agency of the constructors. This is certainly a matter we shall want to explore very fully when we reach Part III of the Bill in Committee. It may well be that we shall learn a good deal from the hon. Members representing constituencies in the area. I imagine that they will seek to catch your eye, Mr. Speaker. I would not base our objections on the details of the Bill, because they are very complicated and will need careful study. I hope that the details will receive careful scrutiny by the Select Committee—I expect that it will receive petitions—and then the Standing Committee will be responsible for examining them.
We base our objection on the nature of the scheme and the pre-emption of resources which it represents at a time when it has to be looked at against the background of the oil dispute, which I suspect—I hope I am wrong—is not just a short-term but a long-term problem. We have to ask whether this is the kind of thing we should rush on with as though nothing had happened since these studies were begun back in 1966.
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