§ Lords Amendment: No. 1, in page 1, leave out line 20.
§ 9.59 p.m.
§ The Minister of State, Treasury (Mr. John Nott)I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.
§ Mr. SpeakerIf the House agrees, it might be convenient to take with this the other two Lords amendments:
No. 2, in page 2, line 13, at end insert:
(4) Where, in accordance with subsection (1) above, the responsible Minister proposes to direct that any of the operations of a service falling within subsection (3)(f) above shall be financed by means of a trading fund he shall, if he considers that those operations consist substantially of the provision of goods and services in the United Kingdom otherwise than to government departments, consult such persons as appear to him to be appropriate.No. 3, in Clause 6, page 6, line 8, at end insert:(4) Where by virtue of subsection (4) of section 1 above a Minister has held consultations in relation to proposals for the financing of any operations of a service by means of a trading fund, he shall, before laying, in accordance with subsection (2) above, a draft instrument containing the Order giving effect to those proposals, lay a report of the results of those consultations, and of his conclusions, before Parliament.
§ Mr. Nigel Spearing (Acton)On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. It will be within your knowledge that I presented a manuscript amendment to the last of the Lords amendments.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I can help the hon. Member. That amendment was not selected.
§ Mr. NottAs the House knows, the Bill is concerned with the methods of financing certain services within Government. It is not directly concerned with the policy framework within which they operate. The Bill would not of itself 1392 require any change in the policy of a particular organisation to which it was applied. Conversely, it is possible for the Government to change the policy—
§ It being Ten o'clock, further consideration of Lords amendments stood adjourned.