§ Mr. MillanI beg to move, Amendment No. 17, in page 33, line 44, leave out from 'thereof' to second 'and' in line 2 on page 34 and insert:
'the words "except as respects the councils of county districts" were omitted'.It would be convenient if we took at the same time Amendments Nos. 30, 38, 39, 40 and 41.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerIf the House agrees, so be it.
§ Mr. MillanThe Amendments look rather complicated, but their purpose is quite simple. It is to make clear that the power of small burghs and district councils in Scotland to assist voluntary bodies to provide meals and recreation for old persons is unaffected by alterations in the power of the councils of counties and large burghs to provide welfare services for old persons.
Clause 43 gives the councils of counties and large burghs a general power to promote the welfare of old people. It was decided consequentially to repeal the provision in Section 31 of the National Assistance Act, 1948, which enables county councils and large burghs to make arrangements for the provision of meals and recreation for old people and to assist voluntary organisations making this provision.
However, under Section 31, the small burghs and the district councils in Scotland are enabled to assist voluntary organisations in providing meals, and so on. We wish this power to remain. That was the intention of the original drafting. However, it was not very clear, and we had representations made to us about it. We hope that the drafting of these Amendments will be acceptable to the House.
§ Mr. Maurice MacmillanI should not dream of entering into the complexities of Scottish matters, but we on this side of the House have consulted our Scottish colleagues and we fully support the Amendments.
§ Amendment agreed to.