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The Chairman: I have already decided that ''bonkers'' is unparliamentary, and the other word certainly would have been as well.
Mr. Knight: The Opposition welcome the Minister's support for my view of what should be best practice and, on the basis of what he said, I do not seek to impede the addition of schedule 9 to the Bill.
Question put and agreed to.
Schedule 9 agreed to.
Clause 46 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
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Clause 47
Code of practice for disabled rail users in Scotland
Question proposed, That the clause stand part of the Bill.
Mr. Knight: Will the Under-Secretary give us an assurance in respect of this clause, which relates to a code of practice for disabled rail users in Scotland? There is also widespread concern about assistance for disabled rail users in England, and it would be fair and equitable if, at the same time that a code of practice is published for Scotland, the Secretary of State decided to publish one for England. If the Under-Secretary cannot give me that assurance now, I hope that she will pass my request to the Secretary of State, as I certainly would not want disabled people in England to feel in any way that they were second-class citizens.
Dr. Pugh: In fact, disabled people will travel from Scotland to England, and part of the problem is that their treatment would be different in different places.
5.15 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mrs. Anne McGuire): The point that both the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire and the hon. Member for Southport raised is important. As far as
Column Number: 270
possible, we want uniformity for the codes of practice for disabled people across Great Britain, and to that end I am sure that there will be considerable liaison between the Secretary of State and Scottish Ministers.
This clause transfers the power that the Secretary of State holds for the UK to Scottish Ministers in line with the decisions that the Committee has previously made in transferring functions to Scottish Ministers. I will draw the right hon. Gentleman's comments to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, who is of course also the Secretary of State for Scotland. I am advised that there will be considerably more liaison and uniformity than is obvious from this clause. If there is any change to that position, I will advise both the right hon. Gentleman and the Committee.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 47 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Clauses 48 and 49 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
Further consideration adjourned.—[Gillian Merron.]
Adjourned accordingly at seventeen minutes past Five o'clock till Tuesday 18 January at twenty-five minutes past Nine o'clock.
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