HC Deb 18 April 1967 vol 745 cc437-8

Lords Amendment: No. 27, in page 70, line 15, at end insert: which recommendation and approval may be given before, or in such classes of cases as the Ministers may direct, after the carrying out of the proposals".

Mr. John Mackie

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

This is a drafting Amendment designed to rectify the unintentional omission of a standard provision relating to schemes of grants, which already appears in Clauses 26, 30 and 40 of the Bill—to be precise, at 26(6,a), 30(3,a) and 40(5,a). As amended, the Clause would permit authority to be given for work to be started, without prejudicing subsequent payment of grant, on proposals that had been submitted to the Central Council but had not yet received its recommendation or approval by Ministers. This sort of arrangement is provided for in many grant schemes to avoid unnecessary delays in allowing work to start on proposals. The issue of an authority to start work does not, of course, commit Ministers to pay grant if the proposals are not subsequently recommended and approved.

Question put and agreed to.

Lords Amendment: No. 28, in page 71, line 11, leave out "by them".

Mr. John Mackie

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

This is a technical Amendment rather than one of substance. It is intended that the scheme of grants to be made under this Clause shall provide for the Minister of Agriculture alone to pay to the Central Council money for them to pay out in grants. This being so, the Ministers—the Minister of Agriculture and the Secretary of State for Scotland—could not be said, when recovering grant under Clause 60(4), to be doing so in respect of grant paid "by them".

That is the reason for cutting out "by them"; it is only the Minister who will recover grants.

Question put and agreed to.