HC Deb 27 October 1976 vol 918 c603

Lords amendment: No. 33, in page 29, line 17, at end insert— (3A) Where the terms of reference of the investigation confine it to activities of persons named in them and the Commission in the course of it propose to investigate any act made unlawful by this Act which they believe that a person so named may have done, the Commission shall—

  1. (a) inform that person of their belief and of their proposal to investigate the act in question; and
  2. (b) offer him an opportunity of making oral or written representations with regard to it (or both oral and written representations if he thinks fit);
and a person so named who avails himself of an opportunity under this subsection of making oral representations may be represented—
  1. (i) by counsel or a solicitor; or
  2. (ii) by some other person of his choice, not being a person to whom the Commission object on the ground that he is unsuitable."

10.30 p.m.

Mr. John

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bryant Godman Irvine)

With this amendment we are to discuss Lords Amendments Nos. 34 and 62.

Mr. John

I believe that this matter is helpful in meeting not only some of the criticism made in another place but some of the anxieties expressed in Committee. Lords Amendments Nos. 33 and 34 therefore incorporate the change in this Bill, and Lords Amendment No. 62 incorporates the change in the Sex Discrimination Act.

The amendments would basically give a person against whom a complaint is made the right to information, and I think that the hon. and learned Member for Royal Tunbridge Wells (Mr. Mayhew) in particular will agree that this goes some way towards meeting the points that he made.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords amendment agreed to.

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