HC Deb 24 June 1947 vol 439 c394
Mr. Shinwell

I beg to move, in page 51, line 25, to leave out "Central Authority may" and to insert: Board may, with the approval of the Central Authority. During the Committee stage the hon, and gallant Member for Fylde (Colonel Lancaster) moved to substitute "area boards" for "Central Authority" in the Subsection as it was originally drafted. The purpose, as I understood it, was to ensure a greater degree of responsibility on financial matters at the area board level. The point seemed to me to be a valid one and I agreed to consider the matter at a later stage. The Amendment now proposed provides that the area board should have the power to determine, with the approval of the Central Authority, how their surplus revenue should be applied, and, to that extent, it will provide a greater measure of autonomy in financial matters to the area board.

Amendment agreed to.