§ 8.0 p.m.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsI beg to move Amendment No. 30, in page 5, line 7, leave out
'with the approval of the Secretary of State'.In the amendment we make another attempt to remove a quite unnecessary restriction on the Agency's powers to appoint committees.Their noble Lordships in another place succeeded in removing the requirement that the Agency should have to get the approval of the Secretary of State for the membership of committees, except for persons who are not members of the Agency, where approval is still required.
I am quite unable to see why a responsible organisation has to have the consent of the Secretary of State before it can set up a committee. I should have thought that responsibility could be left to any organisation of any merit at all.
The hon. Member for Caernarvon (Mr. Wigley) urged the Under-Secretary to look at the matter and see if he could cut free the Agency from what he referred to in Commitee as "red tape and bureaucracy". The only argument advanced in favour of this restriction on the powers of the Agency was the tendency, referred to in the Committee, for the Welsh to form committees ad infinitum.
We all know that when two Englishmen get together they form a club, when two Scots get together they form a bank, when two Irishmen get together they form three political parties, and when two Welshmen get together they form five committees. None the less, it really is not a very serious argument for tying the hands of a responsible statutory body.
808 Why should we think that a Welsh Secretary of State, backed by the Welsh Office, is likely to be effective in checking this national tendency? I should have thought it might rather be encouraged. If we want good people we should not treat them like children.
§ Mr. Barry JonesHaving heard the hon. Member's persuasive remarks, we shall accept the amendment.
§ Mr. EdwardsI am overcome with astonishment but I should like to express our gratitude.
§ Amendment agreed to.