Clause 43 (Hansard, 28 May 1968)

§ Mr. Marsh

I beg to move Amendment No. 162, in page 60, line 3, at end insert: ' but nothing in this section shall authorise any such authority to do themselves, either directly or through a subsidiary, any work such as is mentioned in subsection (2)(b) of this section which the authority would not have power to do apart from this section'. Not to spoil the atmosphere, this again is an Amendment moved by the Government to assist the Opposition. It meets 1620 one of the points raised in Committee. The hon. Member for Tavistock (Mr. Michael Heseltine) expressed completely unfounded fears about the possibilities that some of the duties of the nationalised transport authorities on research and development might lead them into spheres outside the industry.

In Standing Committee the hon. Gentleman said: But it is our contention that we are dealing with a whole new set of powers marching parallel with Clause 45 and detached from it … Boards and the authorities which might have entrepreneurial ambitions will want to extend their activities outside the matters for which they were primarily set up … under Clause 43 they can do it and that, with the Minister's permission, there is nothing to stop them from doing it…. "—[OFFICIAL REPORT, Standing Committee F; 13th March, 1968, c. 1784–5.] The purpose of the Amendment is to place restrictions on the use of development to meet the point made in Committee.