Ros in the Lords: Localism Bill - Committee (5th Day)

Here's another of Ros's interventions that I hadn't covered, from 5 July 2011...

Schedule 5 : New Chapter 4ZA of Part 1 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992

Amendment 129LZZZA

Moved by Lord Jenkin of Roding

129LZZZA: Schedule 5, page 263, leave out lines 9 to 29

One of the joys of local government finance is the use of language, and this debate turned into a symposium on the word 'excessive' and the appropriateness of its use in legislation. Ros demonstrated that not all members of the House of Lords are wedded to quill pens and reference libraries...

Baroness Scott of Needham Market (Liberal Democrat)

Before the noble Lord decides what to do with his amendment, will the Minister undertake during this gap to look at some dictionaries for definitions of "excessive"? I have taken advantage of the new rules of the House and googled the word. The definitions all say that it describes a quantity or amount exceeding that which is justifiable, tolerable or desirable-for example, excessive drinking. So will the noble Lord accept that "excessive" is a term that has connotations, whatever its original and absolute meaning might be? I agree with my noble friend Lord Greaves that it does not have a place in legislation.