HL Deb 21 February 1973 vol 339 cc223-5

7.39 p.m.

LORD WINDLESHAM rose to move, That the Draft Financial Provisions (Northern Ireland) Order 1973, laid before the House on January 24, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, this Order is one of a series which have been enacted in Northern Ireland at intervals of about two years to deal with miscellaneous matters of a financial nature. Much of the Northern Ireland legislation concerned with Government lending and Government capital expenditure provides that these costs may be borne on the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund, subject to cumulative limits which are reviewed and increased from time to time. That is the main purpose of this Order. The increases set out in the Schedules are required to accommodate anticipated transactions for the next eighteen months or so. I should make clear that they do not themselves imply approval for actual expenditure up to the new cumulative limits.

Article 3 provides for increases in the limits on three forms of expenditure in particular. These are: grants for the development of public services; capital expenditure on public service accommodation; and expenditure on industrial development. In due course the Department will be submitting estimates of expenditure on these items for approval by Parliament in the normal way. Article 4 provides for the expansion of the amount which may be outstanding from the Northern Ireland Government's Loan Fund which lends substantial amounts to local authorities and other public bodies in Northern Ireland. Article 5 extends the borrowing powers of the Electricity Board for Northern Ireland. This should cover borrowings until March 31, 1973, when the E.B.N.I. will be absorbed into the new Northern Ireland Electricity Service. Article 6 contains provisions for further issues of up to £500,000 to the Ulster Land Fund. This fund was established in 1948 and has been mainly used to finance grants to the National Trust for the acquisition of historic buildings, and to the Ulster Museum and the Ulster Folk Museum for capital expenditure.

Articles 7 and 8 deal with two unrelated financial matters. Article 7 concerns fees payable for the registration of companies in Northern Ireland and provides for the Northern Ireland Ministry of Commerce to alter these fees by regulation, subject to approval by both Houses of Parliament. A similar provision is already in force for Great Britain. Article 8 seeks to amend the statutory requirements for the issue of Northern Ireland Treasury Bills so that for reasons of convenience they may be prepared and issued on behalf of the Ministry of Finance by a bank. These, briefly, are the provisions of this Draft Order which, of course, concerns financial business and, as such, has already been the subject of scrutiny in another place. I beg to move.

Moved, That the Draft Financial Provisions (Northern Ireland) Order 1973, laid before the House on January 24 be approved.—(Lord Windlesham.)

LORD GARNSWORTHY

My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Windlesham once again for the detailed explanation of this Order which he has given. I think it is correct to say that this is the sixth financial measure relating to Northern Ireland with which we have been concerned. I gather that before the Easter Recess we shall be considering the seventh measure, the Appropriation (No. 1) Order 1973. The Orders that we have already considered have enabled the House to deal with all the general issues regarding the financing of Northern Ireland, and in any event the next measure will in effect be the Northern Ireland budget for 1973–74. Then, I take it, there will be ample opportunity to discuss broad issues. My Lords, all the detailed points that we should have wanted to raise from these Benches were raised in the other place and dealt with quite satisfactorily. Therefore I am happy to content myself this evening with giving the briefest of welcomes to the Order which is a routine and technical one. The important point to notice is that it merely raises the statutory limits, as the noble Lord has indicated, and does not approve them. My Lords, we support the Order.

LORD WINDLESHAM

My Lords, I was apprehensive at the momentary presence of the former Chief Secretary of the Treasury.

LORD GARNSWORTHY

My Lords, I shared that apprehension.

LORD WINDLESHAM

I thought that some penetrating questions were going to be put. As the noble Lord, Lord Garnsworthy, said, this Order is a routine one, but none the less important for that. It is a technical measure. It does not sanction any additional spending but only raises the ceilings. I am grateful for the response of the noble Lord to the Motion to approve this Order.

On Question, Motion agreed to.