HC Deb 04 May 1960 vol 622 cc1166-7
Mr. Walker-Smith

I beg to move, in page 2, line 47, at the end to insert: being such fees as the Council considers will produce not more than the sums required to defray the reasonable expenses of the Council under this Act". This Amendment is pursuant to an undertaking which I gave in Committee about the fees to be charged. I then enunciated what I think is the objective of us all in this matter when I said: Clearly, we want to make sure that the boards and the Council operate as economically as possible and that the liability on the people practising these professions by way of fees, both initial registration and retention fees, is kept as low as possible. That is an aim which we would all share and which I certainly have closely in mind. I ventured also to indicate what I thought was perhaps the opposite danger in this matter and I said: While we want to have every incentive to economy … we do not want to run into the opposite danger of tying the hands of the Council too tightly before we know all the circumstances."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, Standing Committee B, 28th January, 1960; c. 23–5.] I had especially in mind in that context the desirability of leaving the Council free, for example, to accumulate funds for the acquisition of premises, or for other matters.

On the consideration which I promised to give to the matter and Which I have now been able to give to it, I have devised this Amendment as being the best way of steering a middle course between those two possible dangers. The Amendment is designed to reinforce the need for economy without sacrificing the flexibility of financial arrangements which the Council ought to have. It therefore imposes on the Council a statutory duty to refrain from seeking to prescribe fees at a level higher than that needed to meet the reasonable expenses of the scheme, but it would not prevent the Council from accumulating funds for the sort of purposes which I have indicated.

7.30 p.m.

Dr. Summerskill

I thank the right hon. and learned Gentleman for meeting apprehensions expressed by Members on both sides lest the fee to be charged would be too great a strain on the members of the supplementary professions. He has met the wishes of everybody who spoke on that matter. The members of these professions should not feel that what they are being asked to contribute is in any sense a strain on their rather limited resources.

Sir H. Linstead

I add my thanks to my right hon. and learned Friend and reinforce what the right hon. Lady has said. I am sure that this will go a long way towards reassuring those who were rather frightened of excessive fees.

Amendment agreed to.