Mr. Philip Jones:

The answer to that question is that was 1983. In fairness to Noel Dempsey, when he brought in the 2000 Act he said it was not going to be up to the local county manager to decide, but to the elected members. Taking the elected members out is a further erosion of local democracy. I suggest to the committee that sections 48 and 49 be reinserted into this Bill, which is supposed to be the consolidation of all planning, and that they not be put into another one that would only apply, possibly, to new zonings. I have the sections. The relevant section is section 83(4)(b) in the proposed Bill and in the 2000 Act it is section 37G(7)(b). The drafters of this have looked at it and taken the words referring to section 48 or 49 schemes out, so it is not a mistake.