§ 5.25 p.m.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Health and Education, Scottish Office (Mr. Hector Monro)I beg to move Amendment No. 79, in page 31, line 35, at end insert:
'(d) paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the said Act of 1968 (children's panel advisory committees):'.
§ Mr. SpeakerIt will be convenient to discuss at the same time Government Amendment No. 80.
§ Mr. MonroThese amendments are drafting amendments providing an additional exemption to Clause 56(8). Amendment No. 79 retains the children's panel advisory committees and Amendment No. 80 retains the provisions of Section 9 of the Superannuation Act 1972, so that one can continue the formation of joint committees on teachers' superannuation.
§ Mr. William Ross (Kilmarnock)How is it that we need an amendment to preserve the children's panels? Unless some change is made in the Bill, surely those panels will remain. Now we are told that this is purely a matter of drafting. I regard it as much more than that if we now have to include a provision in order to save the children's panels.
§ Mr. MonroThere is a need for the children's panels to be patently independent of the local authorities, yet not totally separated from them, in view of the local authorities' financial responsibility. This balance is achieved within the children's panels by having three members appointed by the Secretary of State and two by the local authority. This is not the kind of committee that can be integrated into the other committees of a regional council.
§ Amendment agreed to.
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Amendment made: No. 80, in page 31, line 38, at end insert:
'(e) section 9 of the said Act of 1972 (superannuation of teachers).'.—[Mr. Monro.]