HC Deb 27 July 1981 vol 9 cc912-3

Lords amendment: No. 6, after clause 26, insert— A. Orders in Council made under the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act 1865 (which regulate the payment of such pay and pensions) shall cease to be published in the London Gazette.

Mr. Goodhart

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Ernest Armstrong)

With this we may take Lords amendment No. 21.

Mr. Goodhart

The purpose of these amendments is to remove the requirement under the Naval and Marine Pay and Pensions Act 1865 that Orders in Council for changes in naval pay and pension rates should be published in the London Gazette. The parallel requirement that those Orders in Council should be laid before Parliament is left unaltered.

The amendments are brought forward purely in the interest of economy, as the gazetting of naval pay and pension order, is now costing about £13,000. a year. This requirement for publication of the rates in the London Gazette, which is unique to the Royal Navy, is a pure formality, as there is a separate departmental system, which will continue, for telling those concerned about new rates of pay and pension within the Royal Navy. Rates of pay and pension will also continue to be published in the Navy List. I commend the amendments to the House.

Mr. Arthur Davidson (Accrington)

I congratulate the Minister's advisers on finding this massive saving of £13,000 a year. The Minister is absolutely right. There seems to be something of an unnecessary ambiguity. I cannot find it in my heart to oppose the amendment.

Question put and agreed to.

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