Clause 41.—(PAYMENT BY RIVER BOARD OF EXPENSES OF OFFICIAL VISITS, ETC.)

HC Deb 21 July 1961 vol 644 cc1654-5

Lords Amendment: In page 27, line 29, leave out "or officer".

Mr. Soames

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

This is a very minor Amendment. The purpose of the Clause is to authorise the payment of expenses to members and officers of river boards for official and courtesy visits being made in the course of their duties. The hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Willey) will remember that we accepted an Amendment which he himself put down on Report stage, concerned with entertaining and expenses. The proviso in the Clause specifies that the payments must not exceed what would have been payable under Section 113 of the Local Government Act.

This lays down the conditions for the payment of expenses to members of local authorities, but Section 113 does not relate to "officers" of local authorities, and there is, therefore, no purpose in referring to them in the proviso. This Amendment deletes the reference to "officers".

Mr. Willey

I am always greatly obliged to the Government when they correct my drafting.

Question put and agreed to.