Infrastructure Bill [HL]

Lord Popat Excerpts

Monday 9th February 2015 Lords Chamber

Moved by

[Lord Popat]

That this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments 15 to 19.

15: Clause 38, page 45, line 23, leave out subsection (5)

--- Later in debate ---

19: Clause 43, page 48, line 46, leave out from beginning to end of line 47

[Lord Popat (Con)]

My Lords, in the absence of my noble friend Lady Verma, I beg to move that this House agrees with the Commons in their Amendments 15 to 19. I will also speak to Amendments 29, 31, 33 and 33A.

Following discussions here and in the other place, the Government have tabled these amendments to remove Scotland from the scope of the provisions concerning the right to use deep-level land. Noble Lords will be aware that, as a result of the Smith commission’s recommendations and the Command Paper that has been published, it is planned that responsibility for mineral access rights for underground onshore extraction of oil and gas will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament in the next Parliament.

These amendments ensure that the provisions in the Infrastructure Bill do not change the current system that applies for granting access rights in Scotland. The Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament already have substantial control of onshore oil, gas and geothermal activities through their own existing planning procedures and environmental regulations, which are devolved. I hope that these amendments will be welcomed.

Motion agreed.