HC Deb 22 July 1974 vol 877 cc1217-8
Mr. Joel Barnett

I beg to move Amendment No. 52, in page 63, line 11, at end insert: 'or, if they so differ, are not more beneficial to the said owner'. The purpose here is to extend the relief afforded by paragraph 4 of Schedule 4 which exempts from the capital gains charge certain sales which were in an advanced state of negotiation on 17th December 1973. The amendment lets out those cases where the price paid to the vendor is less than that contemplated in some arrangements made before 18th December 1973. It arises out of an undertaking which I gave in Committee.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Joel Barnett

I beg to move Amendment No. 53, in page 63, line 18, at end insert:

'Disposal to authority exercising compulsory powers where notice to treat was served before 18th December 1973.

5.—(1) Where a disposal of an interest in land to which the principal section applies is made to an authority exercising compulsory powers, then, if notice to treat in respect of that interest was (or is by virtue of any enactment deemed to have been) served before 18th December 1973 on the person making the disposal, the disposal shall be treated for the purposes of this Chapter, as having been made before that date.

(2) In this paragraph "authority exercising compulsory powers" means, in relation to any disposal of an interest in land, a person acquiring the interest compulsorily or who has been authorised to acquire it compulsorily (whether for himself or some other person)'.

The amendment is designed to extend the transitional provisions of the Schedule to cover the case where an authority with compulsory powers had issued a notice to treat before 18th December 1973. This again fulfils an undertaking that I gave in Committee.

Mr. Graham Page

The House will not want me to rise on every occasion that the Chief Secretary carries out an undertaking, but I should like to thank him for the last two, and perhaps my thanks will cover the rest of the undertakings he will carry out.

Mr. Peter Rees

I am glad to see that in the amendment the Chief Secretary has taken to heart the point made to him in Committee. I only regret that he was not able to extend the amendment to take account of the far-reaching debate we had on disposals under threat of compulsory purchase powers. It might be too late to raise this point now, but I hope that in his autumn Budget the Chancellor will take more account of the points made in Committee than the Chief Secretary appears to have done so far. I am, however, grateful for small mercies.

Amendment agreed to.

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