HC Deb 25 July 1963 vol 681 cc1935-7

Lords Amendment: In page 108, line 43, after "order" insert: " (being, except in the case of a borough or other area falling within paragraph 7(1)(b) of this Schedule, an order by virtue of paragraph 8(1) of this Schedule)".

Miss Pike

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

It will be convenient if, with this Amendment, we could consider the following Amendments, in pages 109 and 110.

These Amendments relate to the Orders which the Home Secretary will make after parliamentary constituencies have been reviewed defining the electoral areas each of which will return one Greater London councillor.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 111, line 42, at end insert: (3) Without prejudice to their powers by virtue of paragraph 10 of this Schedule under section 85 of the said Act of 1933, the Council may delegate to the Inner London Education Authority, or to any education committee established by that Authority under Part II of Schedule 1 to the Education Act 1944, any functions which they might delegate under subsection (1) of the said section 85 to a committee appointed by the Council under that subsection.

Sir K. Joseph

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

This Amendment gives a general power to the G.L.C. enabling it to delegate to the Inner London Education Authority or any education committee appointed by that authority any matter which could be delegated by the G.L.C. under Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act, 1933. The first is to enable the G.L.C. to delegate the management of the Horniman and Jeffrye Museums, if it so wishes.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 114 line 42, leave out "expenditure" and insert "expenses".

Mr. Corfield

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

This is a drafting Amendment to make this paragraph of the Second Schedule consistent with the language of Section 257 of the Local Government Act, 1933.

Question put and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 115, line 2, leave out from "expenditure" to end of line 3 and insert: by the Council on capital account or on lending to other persons".

Sir K. Joseph

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

This Amendment and the four which follow immediately after the next together exclude borrowing from the scope of the annual borrowing Bill to be promoted by the G.L.C. which, therefore, will be confined to capital expenditure and loans made by the G.L.C. to other bodies. The G.L.C. will have its borrowing powers under Clause 29(2) as amended. The procedure for the G.L.C. as a result of this Amendment will be identical with that of the L.C.C.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

10.30 p.m.

Lords Amendment: In page 116, line 31, at end insert: 28A.—(1) If the whole of the amount authorised by an annual money Act to be expended for any authorised purpose in the first twelve or last six months of the relevant financial period aforesaid is not required to be so expended, the Council may with the approval of the Treasury expend for any other authorised purpose in those twelve or, as the case may be, six months (in addition to the amount authorised in relation to that other purpose) an amount not exceeding the unexpended portion of the first-mentioned amount. (2) If by reason of unforeseen circumstances the amount authorised by an annual money Act to be expended for any authorised purpose in the first twelve or last six months of the relevant financial period aforesaid is found to be insufficient, the Treasury may on the application of the Council authorise the Council to expend for that purpose such further sums as it is shown to the satisfaction of the Treasury to be necessary or desirable for the Council so to expend, not exceeding in the aggregate such amount as may be authorised in that behalf by that Act in relation to those twelve or, as the case may be, six months. (3) In ascertaining for the purposes of paragraph 27(2) or 28(3) of this Schedule the amount which may be expended for any authorised purpose in the last six months of the financial period aforesaid to which an annual money Act relates, there shall be taken into account the extent to which the sum authorised to be expended for that purpose in the first twelve months of that period has been expended under sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph for any other authorised purpose. (4) The provisions of paragraph 28(6) to (8) of this Schedule shall apply to any loan under this paragraph as they apply to any loan under that paragraph. (5) In this paragraph references in connection with an annual money Act to expenditure for an authorised purpose are references to expenditure—

  1. (a) on capital account for a purpose mentioned in that Act; or
  2. (b) on loans to persons of a class either mentioned in paragraph 28(2,a) to (f) of this Schedule or specified in that Act."

Mr. Corfield

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

The purpose of this Amendment is to give the Greater London Council powers to reallocate expenditure on capital account and lending authorised by the annual money Bill from purposes where there is a surplus to purposes for which insufficient provision has been made. The L.C.C. already has a comparable power under the L.C.C. Loans Act, 1955. The Amendment proposes this at the L.C.C.'s request and it has been agreed in detail with its officers. I understand that it is welcomed by hon. Members opposite.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.