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Lord Brightman: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the Social Security Administration Act 1992 has been amended by no fewer than 18 Acts of Parliament? In Part VI, dealing with enforcement, every single one of the original sections has either been repealed or amended, while 14 new sections have been added. However, there is still no consolidation in sight. Is this legislative quagmire acceptable?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, the noble and learned Lord is always right in terms of detail. His strictures aimed at the Government in relation to other matters have been taken on board. Thus, in the most recent legislation to come before the House, the noble and learned Lord will see that the cross-referencing to which he usually refers has been assiduously applied. In relation to the particular Bill he mentioned, I can say no more than that we shall continue to ensure clarity. I can confirm that this is one area where we shall continue with our endeavours.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, I believe that the noble Baroness and the noble and learned Lord, Lord
Falconer of Thoroton, sat through the proceedings on the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill, as I did. Does she agree that, over the years, leasehold legislation has become completely chaotic and that this area is a prime target for consolidation?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I certainly agree that the Commonhold and Leasehold Bill was a fine piece of legislation. We did much to consolidate the position in this area, as well as reforming and refreshing the law. However, I must accept that there is still more to be done. I am sure that the noble Lord will join me in saying that the Land Registration Bill was a fine piece of work. In that Bill we pulled together 77 years-worth of reform and amendment in one piece of legislation. I am sure that that exercise also gave pleasure to the noble Lord, Lord Renton.
Lord Hughes of Woodside: My Lords—
Lord Peyton of Yeovil: My Lords—
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): My Lords, yet again I believe that it is the turn of the noble Lord, Lord Peyton.
Lord Peyton of Yeovil: My Lords, twice. Does the noble Baroness not agree that almost total incomprehensibility is not to be regarded as a virtue in legislation? If the noble Baroness requires a little light reading, or something to put her to sleep at night, she should take a look at either the Police Reform Bill or the legislation concerned with the National Health Service—both presently before Parliament. I think that she will find in both of them a cure for insomnia and will have to acknowledge that both are monuments to incomprehensibility.
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I understand the point being made by the noble Lord, but I should stress that both Bills must pass through this House and through the other place. If I have learnt only one thing, it is the contrast between the incomprehensibility of a Bill coming to this House and its greatly improved state when it leaves. If a Bill is incomprehensible, I would say to noble Lords, "We have more work to do".
Lord Hughes of Woodside: My Lords, is it not the case that the problem is not consolidation of legislation, but the frequency with which it is amended?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, of course amendment is not always in the Government's hands. However, when something needs to be fixed, it is the duty of the Government to ensure that that is done. It is a duty which we have sought to discharge with energy, precision and effectiveness.
Lord Cope of Berkeley: My Lords, I am sure we are all grateful to the Minister for complimenting the House on the amendments it has made to legislation
recently. Having said how important consolidation is, can she remind us just how poor the record of the Government is by telling us how few consolidation measures they have initiated by comparison with the previous government?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I do not accept the premise as the number of consolidation Bills does not in fact reflect the amount of reform and consolidation that has taken place. I have mentioned the reform and consolidation inherent in Bills such as the Land Registration Bill and the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill. I can tell your Lordships that between 1997 and 1998 there were two measures, the Petroleum Act and the Audit Commission Act. Between 1999 and 2000 there was the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act. I am sure the House will not want me to tire it with all the other Bills that this House and the other place have managed to pass in the past five years, all of which were of great importance to our country and our citizens.
Lord Wedderburn of Charlton: My Lords, would my noble friend—
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, it is time for the next Question.
Urban Green Spaces
3.22 p.m.
Baroness Greengross asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What plans they have to implement the conclusions of the Urban Green Spaces Task Force report.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): My Lords, the Urban Green Spaces Task Force published its final report on 7th May, Green Spaces, Better Places. We plan to announce our response to the conclusions and recommendations of the report in July.
Baroness Greengross: My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord the Minister for that reply. I was particularly heartened that greater efforts are to be made to engage with young people to use urban green spaces better. I also welcome the efforts of the Children's Play Council in this regard and the report that it published on 7th May entitled More than Swings and Roundabouts.
What further support do the Government intend to give to involve young people in regenerating their parks and play areas and, particularly important to me, what are the ways in which we might promote inter-generational partnership? I should declare an
interest as chair of the Experience Corps, which is a government-supported initiative to involve many more people of 50 and over in volunteering.
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for mentioning the Experience Corps, of which she is the chair, and which will make a major contribution to engaging older people in volunteering. As regards engaging younger people in the use of green spaces, what is at the heart of both Green Spaces, Better Places and the current cross-cutting review into public space in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review is that, if the quality of existing green spaces and parks is improved, more people will use them. That is achieved by focusing on who is responsible for keeping them in proper condition and making them much more accessible to young and old alike. That is the process in which we are engaged; we are looking at the recommendations in this report and at those in the cross-cutting review.
Lord Greaves: My Lords, Green Spaces, Better Places is the normal sort of tongue-twister with which we have to deal in titles of reports nowadays. However, on first looking through the report, I congratulate its authors on what appears to be an extremely valuable and useful contribution to the vital green spaces in our towns and cities. Would the Minister agree with what appears to be a vital part of the report, that during the next five years a capital contribution of £0.5 billion will be required,
- "to begin reversing the decline of urban parks and green spaces and to create new good-quality ones"?
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his welcome for the report, which makes a number of very important suggestions. He is absolutely right that it calls for £500 million more to be spent over the next five years, and it also calls for partnership arrangements in relation to parks which will improve delivery arrangements and park maintenance. As the noble Lord will understand, I am not in a position to give any indication about what the response to that report may be, but I can tell him that the response will come in July.
Baroness Hamwee: My Lords, the Minister appears to have acknowledged that maintaining open spaces costs money. Would he take back the need for clear advice on the use of planning gain to fund the maintenance of open spaces?
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, planning gain is a useful way of ensuring that funds are available for the maintenance of parks in certain cases. Just as
important is the design of public buildings and public parks because that contributes hugely to the quality of the parks and the ability to maintain them. The planning system has a very important role to play in the matter raised by the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and in relation to the design of parks.
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