Title (Hansard, 3 February 1966)

§ Mr. Mulley

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

I do not think that there is much need for anything further to be said. There have been, both in Committee and today, some different views on matters of detail but the principle of the Bill, the reconstruction of the capital of B.O.A.C. and the other matters connected with it have commended themselves to the House, as has also the introduction of this novel system of public participation on an equity basis in a public corporation.

I should like to thank all those who have participated in our deliberations, in Committee and today. I am satisfied that as a result of our debates, the Bill is better than when it started. I very much hope that, having given this sound financial structure to B.O.A.C., the corporation will justify the faith which the Government and the House have shown in it. I hope and believe that it will be able to hold its own in the severe competition met in world airline services today.

§ Mr. R. Carr

I should like briefly to send this Bill on its way with good wishes from the Opposition. We made clear on Second Reading that we approved of the Bill in principle. For B.O.A.C. this was essentially a matter of putting final touches to a reorganisation which has been set on foot and largely undertaken by my right hon. Friend the Member for Preston, North (Mr. J. Amery) when he was Minister of Aviation. We also welcome the original suggestion in the Bill, for which I gladly give credit to the Government—the idea of equity participation. I hope that the experiment will prove successful and that it will be able to be extended to B.E.A. and other public corporations.

The Bill is still a little untidy, and I drew attention at the end of my Second Reading speech to the need for consolidation. I was particularly glad to hear the remarks of the Parliamentary Secretary a few moments ago. In the course of dealing with this Bill in Committee and 1371 on consideration it has been improved, and I should like to take some credit for the Opposition for that. If I take some credit for the Opposition I should also like to give thanks to the Government for having acted constructively on some, if not all, of the points which we have urged upon them.

I support the Third Reading of this Bill and in doing so wish the corporations, which will operate under it within the somewhat new framework, all the success which I know we all want them to have.