HC Deb 20 June 1973 vol 858 cc747-8
Mr. Whitelaw

I beg to move Amendment No. 19, in page 4, line 46, leave out second 'to' and insert 'by'.

This corrects a printing error.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. McMaster

On a point of order, Sir Robert. I am anxious that the Bill should become law rapidly, but can you clarify, since the Bill has now been amended, whether there will be a Report stage?

The Chairman

It is the normal practice of the House that if a Bill has been amended there is a Report stage.

Motion made, and Question proposed, That the clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill.

Mr. Stratton Mills

I am confident that I know the answer to the point I raise now, but I think it important to place it on the record. Subsection (5) contains procedures for submission by the Secretary of State of measures passed by the Assembly. As I understand it, all measures which are within the competence of the Assembly, as set out in the Bill, are automatically submitted by the Secretary of State to Her Majesty for approval and there is not a filtering process of a political nature by which the Secretary of State himself is involved. I understand that this is the position, but it is important that it should be made clear.

Mr. Whitelaw

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this point. The answer is that measures enacted relating to any of the matters which are transferred under the initial devolution order or which may subsequently be transferred from the reserve list must be passed direct to the Queen in Council by the Secretary of State. When it comes to those matters in the reserved category, and a new power is given to the Assembly which was not held by Stormont, it is felt that it would be convenient that the filtering process of the Secretary of State and this House should come into effect.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause 5, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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