HC Deb 09 March 1965 vol 708 cc265-6

4.36 p.m.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (Mr. George Willis)

I beg to move Amendment No. 1, in page 2, line 7, at the end to insert: (4) Of the members appointed under paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section, at least one shall be appointed as being capable of representing, in particular, the interests of growers of home-grown cereals in Scotland, and one shall be appointed as being capable of representing, in particular, the interests of growers of home-grown cereals in Northern Ireland. The purpose of the Amendment is to give effect to an undertaking which was made in Committee that specific provisions would be made in the Bill for the representation of the interests of growers in Scotland and Northern Ireland. During our discussions in Committee the view was strongly expressed by hon. Members on both sides that specific provisions should be included in the Clause for representation on the Authority of the interests of growers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We readily accepted that view and agreed that provisions should be made for appointing to the Authority at least one person capable of representing the interests of growers in Scotland and one person capable of representing the interests of growers in Northern Ireland.

Since the Amendment gives effect to that undertaking, I hope that it will be acceptable to the House.

Mr. J. A. Stodart (Edinburgh, West)

I need not detain the House for long on this matter. Perhaps, in the interests of accuracy, I might mention that I thought that I heard the Minister say that there would be one representative of the interests of Scotland. I think that he meant to say "at least one".

This was the second Amendment on the Committee's Notice Paper. It was the first one which the Government accepted in principle. They gave us an undertaking that they would look at the matter again and I think that it set the seal upon the very smooth way in which, on the whole, the Committee worked. I am obliged to the Minister of State and his right hon. Friend for accepting the principle of the Amendment and I would like them to know the great satisfaction which this will give to Scottish agriculturists.

When the Minister of State said that the Amendment was readily accepted, I would merely venture to say that his right hon. Friend said that he had been persuaded of the rightness of this; and persuasion is bound to follow a state of mild reluctance. Be that as it may, I welcome the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.