I beg to move, in page 11, line 38, after "general," to insert "or specific."

This point was raised during the Committee stage, and the point of this Amendment is to bring Clause 21 in line with Clause 12. The Joint Parliamentary Secretary said that he would think about it although on the Committee stage he was not very hopeful. We should be grateful to know what are the results of his thoughts since that date.

I beg to second the Amendment.

The answer is very simple. A local authority may, for example, have allowed conditions in their own sewers, refuse dumps or other properties in their occupation to get in such a condition as to necessitate urgent and immediate action. If such conditions arise in properties in their own occupation, they cannot expect to be treated differently from any other occupiers. To proceed by statutory instrument would be to introduce an unnecessary formality when dealing with an individual local authority, which is already subject to a general direction. That is my only reason for refusing to accept a provision for specific directions as distinct from general directions in cases in which we have to deal with a local authority who has itself defaulted in its own property.

I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.