§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That the Clause stand part of the Bill.
§ 2.16 p.m.
§ Sir Lynn Ungoed-Thomas (Leicester, North-East)It may be useful to make one or two observations on this Clause in addition to the glowing and merited 1617 tribute which my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition paid to the generosity of Lord Stanhope. It is our duty, particularly those of us on this side of the Committee, to examine Measures of this nature meticulously. The last Bill of this kind on which I was engaged was the Arundel Estates Bill. On that occasion the gift was so riddled with advantages to the donor that the House of Commons, quite rightly in my view, would not accept it.
This Bill is a startling contrast to the Arundel Estates Bill. Not only is there here a most generous and munificent gift, but on every single point of detail which one has to examine there is the most scrupulous regard to the general law and the most scrupulous requirement that there shall be no incidental advantage to Lord Stanhope or his family. Under the Bill, Lord Stanhope, who has the property for life, pays the Income Tax on the estate during his lifetime. The only provision made about Income Tax or Estate Duty is actually on the passage of the estate into the public purpose for which the Bill is designed or whilst the estate is serving that public purpose.
I wish to say that my hon. Friends, my hon. and learned Friends in particular, and myself, having examined the Bill in detail, would like to join in paying a tribute not only to the general principle which inspires the gift and upon which my right hon. Friend the Leader of the Opposition spoke, but also to the meticulous regard that has been shown for the public law and the scrupulous way in which no advantage of any kind goes to Lord Stanhope or his family, which is found in every provision right through the Bill.
It is remarkable that on a Bill of this kind, which has of necessity complex provisions in it, complex both in the trusts which are declared and in the Estate Duty and Income Tax repercussions, we should nevertheless come here today without having put a single Amendment on the Notice Paper. Therefore, on this matter of scrupulous detail, I should like to join in the tribute which has already been paid from these benches for this most generous gift.
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. J. E. S. Simon)The hon. and learned Member for Leicester, North-East (Sir L. Ungoed-Thomas) is, of course, a master of that branch of the law which is concerned with trust instruments of this sort. Therefore, it is gratifying to hear from him the tribute which he has just paid. It is only necessary for me to say that I entirely endorse what was said by the hon. and learned Gentleman. Not only is this a wonderful property which now goes to the benefit of the nation, but, as he said, nothing is withheld, all is given.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ Clause 3 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ Schedule agreed to.
§ Preamble agreed to.
§ Bill reported, without Amendment; read the Third time and passed.