HC Deb 15 July 1952 vol 503 cc2045-6

6.57 p.m.

The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. John Boyd-Carpenter)

I beg to move, in page 5, line 37, to leave out from the beginning, to "all," and to insert: Save for such sums as may be required for any disbursements permitted by section ten of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act, 1866. This Amendment, the next seven Amendments to the Clause and the Amendment to the Twelfth Schedule have the same effect, and perhaps I may be allowed to explain it all on the first one. The effect is to put back into the Bill the provisions of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act, 1866.

It was suggested by the Comptroller and Auditor General that it would be more convenient from the point of view of the Public Accounts Committee to have Customs receipts dealt with under the Act of 1866 together with other Customs receipts than to have them dealt with under the Bill. In the light of the view of the Comptroller and Auditor General as to the convenience to the Public Accounts Committee we thought it better to adopt the Amendment which, I understand, will have that effect.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made: In page 6, line 3, leave out from beginning, to "any."

In line 8, leave out from "be," to end of line 10, and insert: dealt with as provided in section ten of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act, 1866.

In line 11, leave out from "in," to end of line 19, and insert: section ten of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act, 1866, or in subsection (1) of this section as to the disbursements which may be made out of money collected or received for or on account of customs or excise.

In line 20, leave out "or allowed as aforesaid."

In line 21, leave out payments or expenses, "and insert" "such disbursements."

In line 22, leave out "said."

In line 22, after "Account," insert "aforesaid."—[Mr. Boyd-Carpenter.]

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 12 to 27 ordered to stand part of the Bill.