INITIAL VESTING IN BOARD (Hansard, 5 May 1983)

§ Mr. Macfarlane
I beg to move amendment No. 23, in page 11, line 14, at beginning insert 'Subject to subsection (3A)'.

Mr. Deputy Speaker
With this amendment it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments Nos. 25, 26 and 38.

§ Mr. Macfarlane
These amendments are designed to enable the Secretary of State to exempt individual items from the general transfer of property to the board of trustees of the armouries. They are replicas of those that 483 apply to the Victoria and Albert and science museums and, for example, will cover the case of an object acquired by the Secretary of State on terms that would not allow its transfer to the trustees. In such a case the Secretary of State would make an order by statutory instrument exempting the object from the provisions of clause 17(1) under which, on vesting day, all armouries property now vested in the Secretary of State will become vested instead in the board.
The amendment to clause 35 ensures that the order-making power will come into force two months after Royal Assent; this will be considerably before the board of trustees is established. This will allow the Secretary of State sufficient time to make any necessary orders, before vesting day, as is required.

§ Mr. Whitehead
We are not opposed to the amendment, but in view of the apparent lack of communication with the armouries, about which the Secretary of State was complaining, can he tell us whether there has been full consultation with the authorities at the armouries about the clause?

§ Mr. Macfarlane
There has been the fullest co-operation between my officials and the appropriate authorities on all developments and all stages of this clause.