§ FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
§ Mr. TebbitI beg to move amendment No. 42, in page 25, line 27, leave out 'or the Director'.
Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this amendment it will be convenient to take Government amendments Nos. 43 and 57.
§ Mr. TebbitThe purpose of amendments Nos. 42 and 43 is to ensure that the expenditure of the Director General of Fair Trading on his various functions is clearly and explicitly authorised. We have already discussed matters that are rather parallel. The payment of public funds to the Office of Fair Trading is authorised in general terms by the annual Appropriation Acts. But it is an established practice, if not essential, for each statute involving expenditure to make clear whether it is to be met out of money provided by Parliament.
In consideration of the Competition Bill, it has been discovered that earlier legislation affecting the Director General is not of itself entirely clear on this point. We are, therefore, taking this opportunity to clarify the position. Amendment No. 57 inserts into the long title of the Bill a reference to the amendment relating to powers to make grants to certain bodies and the amendments to sections 83 and 135 of the Fair Trading Act.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§
Amendment made: No. 43, in page 25, line 31, at end insert—
'(2) In section 135(2)(c) of the Fair Trading Act 1973 (which provides for any expenses duly incurred by the Director or his staff in consequence of the provisions of that Act to be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament) for the words "of this Act" there shall be substituted the words "of this or any other Act".'—[Mr. Tebbit.]