HC Deb 25 October 1967 vol 751 cc1649-51

Lords Amendment No. 2: In page 5, line 20, at end insert: (i) for the purpose of providing themselves with office or other accommodation in connection with the exercise of any of their functions, to acquire land in manner provided by section 6(1)(a) below, to erect and maintain buildings or other structures thereon, and, when the land is no longer required for such purpose, to dispose of it in manner provided by the said section 6;

Dr. Mabon

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

The Amendment puts beyond doubt that the Commission may, with the con- sent of the Secretary of State, lease, buy, or build such offices, as they require for the performance of their functions.

Mr. Stodart

Mr. Speaker, I am sure it is your experience that I am a person who likes brevity. The shorter a Bill and the more lucid it is, the more I like it. I am ready to accept what the Minister says, that the Amendment puts the matter beyond a shadow of doubt, but is it really necessary? Similar words did not appear in the Highlands and Islands Development Bill which contained words identical with many of those in Clause 6 of this Measure.

I think that subsection (1, a), which gives the Commission power to acquire land, and subsection (1, b), which allows it to erect buildings, put beyond a shadow of doubt the fact that these buildings could be offices. I suppose that they could be other buildings, such as residential ones, but they certainly could be offices, and when one remembers that Clause 5 describes one of the Commission's functions as preparing and submitting proposals, surely the implication of that is that an office will be used for doing so? I should have thought that these words were not necessary.

I do not know whether in going as far as the Minister wishes to do in adding these words to the Bill he will be able to put on record now where he proposes to have these offices? I ask that because it is a matter of considerable curiosity to many of us.

Dr. Mabon

I think that that is putting it mildly. I understand the hon. Gentleman's irritation at our having to adopt this procedure, but it is due to a lack of time. This is an agreed Measure, and I, too, regret that we have run into this difficulty. I am sure that if the hon. Gentleman goes into the matter thoroughly—and I am sure that he would have done so had he had more time—he will find that the Highlands and Islands Development Act dealt with powers of acquisition which were pretty extensive, whereas this Measure restricts the power to development projects.

In Committee we were asked to be rather precise about the wording of the Bill. This Amendment—and many others —is an earnest attempt to try to meet some of the objections put forward in Committee. We have tried to spell out the provisions more clearly in legal terms in this and other Amendments, and I had hoped that the hon. Gentleman might bless us on this Amendment, even if he does not agree with us on many others.

Question put and agreed to.