§ A person who holds the office of chairman or vice-chairman of the Statutory Committee shall not by reason of his office be incapable of being elected to or voting in the Commons House of Parliament.—[Mr. Barnes.]
§ Clause brought up, and read the first time.
§ Mr. BARNESI beg to move, "That the Clause be read a second time."
149 This new Clause is intended to straighten out the project we have for putting my hon. Friend (Sir A. Griffith-Boscawen) on to the Statutory Committee. We find that in the Statutory Committee the chairman or vice-chairman can be paid, and therefore the person holding either one or other of those offices stands the risk of having, when appointed, to present himself for re-election to his constituency. We do not want my hon. Friend to be put to that trouble, and, inasmuch as we want his presence on the Statutory Committee, in order to have greater control over that body, we want that done without putting him to that disability. That is the sole purpose of this new Clause.
§ Mr. POLLOCKIs it the intention that this is to be a permanent Clause, and that its terms are not to apply to this particular case, but that it is to be an enabling Clause for all time?
§ Mr. BARNESQuite. It may be said to carry out the undertaking given in this House, and it is quite in accordance with the declarations made on behalf of the Government that the Pensions administration should control the Statutory Committee. This provision carries out that. and is quite irrespective of the personality.
§ Question put, and agreed to. Clause ordered to be added to the Bill.