HC Deb 15 May 1950 vol 475 cc868-70
Mr. Lyttelton

I beg to move, in page 3, line 19, at the end, to insert: (3) The Board of Trade shall cause an account to be prepared and transmitted to the Comptroller and Auditor-General for examination, on or before the thirtieth day of September in every year, showing the payments in respect of grants and loans made under this section and the receipts by way of interest on and repayments of principal of such loans in the financial year ending on the thirty-first day of March preceding, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General shall certify and report upon the same, and such account and report shall be laid before Parliament on or before the thirty-first day of January in the following year if Parliament is then sitting, and if Parliament is not then sitting then within one week after Parliament is next assembled. I understand I am in order in moving this Amendment although my name is not on the Paper. I should like to apologise on behalf of my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Northants, South (Mr. Manningham-Buller), whose name is on the Paper, because he cannot be here.

The object my hon. and learned Friend had in mind is one which should commend itself to hon. Members in all parts of the House. It is that we should be given an opportunity of seeing quite clearly how the progress of expenditure under this Bill is proceeding. I think we should all admit that it is quite easy to make mistakes in these matters, and they will be less frequent if the House of Commons is given a full opportunity of reviewing the past actions of the Government. It is quite easy, for example, to get industries in development areas which are not exactly suitable to the skill or the nature of the industrial population, and mistakes are bound to arise.

The object of my hon. and learned Friend in putting down the Amendment is to have a procedure by which this piece of expenditure is segregated from others, and which will give an opportunity to the House to review the whole position. I have had an opportunity of speaking to my hon. and learned Friend upon this Amendment. In putting it down, he is not entirely or obstinately wedded to this particular procedure, and if the Government prefer some other more usual administrative procedure which will have the same result, we on this side of the House would not press the Amendment. I believe, however, that the object which my hon. and learned Friend has in mind will commend itself no less to hon. Members opposite and to the Government than it does to hon. Members on this side of the House.

Mr. Erroll (Altrincham and Sale)

During the earlier stage of the Bill we saw that expenditure of this character could not be entirely scrutinised by purely commercial and economic standards. We all agree that such expenditure is necessary and we hope, therefore, that there will be an opportunity of scrutinising the way in which it is incurred. Probably the best method of doing it is the method suggested in this Amendment.

Mr. Bottomley

We agree with the object of this Amendment. Indeed, in Committee my proposal was to go as far as practicable in giving details of expenditure. The hon. and learned Member whose name appears against the Amendment on the Order Paper said that the House should be informed of the manner in which the expenditure was divided between the specific purposes."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 2nd May, 1950; Vol. 474, c. 1655.] I said that the estimates would show as far as possible the amounts required for different items of expenditure. Consequently the apropriation account should similarly show the expenditure "divided between the specific purposes." Therefore, I think the Amendment is unnecessary.

Under the existing appropriation account procedure provision as required is made. The Board of Trade is required by statute to prepare and submit to the Comptroller and Auditor-General for examination on 30th November in each year accounts of expenditure in the previous financial year. The Comptroller and Auditor-General has to certify and report on these appropriation accounts. Therefore, the requirements of this Amendment are met, and the public and the House itself will be kept informed of the expenditure on these schemes. I hope in these circumstances that it will not be necessary for the Amendment to be pressed.

Mr. Lyttelton

If I may have leave to speak again, I think that was a reasonably sympathetic answer. If, however, the Government should fall short of their assurance I should feel myself very much aggrieved in this matter and I should raise my voice in no uncertain manner. In the circumstances, however, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Bill read the Third time, and passed.