HL Deb 29 June 1938 vol 110 cc413-5

2. After considering any report sent to it by an area board within the said period of twenty-eight days the Central Board may, if it thinks fit, amend the proposals, and shall give such notice of the proposals as may be prescribed for the purpose of informing, so far as practicable, all persons who will be thereby affected, and the notice shall specify the place where copies of the proposals may be obtained and of the time (which shall not be less than twenty-one days) within which any objection made with respect to the proposals by or on behalf of the persons affected must be sent to the Central Board.

EARL HOWE

I do not move the Amendment to insert a new paragraph providing that area boards shall submit to the Central Board recommendations as to wages and conditions of service, because that hangs on the Amendment I moved to Clause 2. But I will move the next, in paragraph (2), after "shall," where that word first occurs, to insert "give notice of the amendments to the area board concerned and shall also". The object of that Amendment is to provide that the area boards affected, equally with the persons affected, shall be entitled to be given notice as to proposals of the Central Board in respect of fixing remuneration. Under the proposals contained in the Bill, if the Central Board amend proposals submitted by an area board, it is not required to advise the area board of such Amendments, though persons affected are entitled to receive notice of the Amendments. The object of this Amendment therefore is to provide that the area board shall be treated in exactly the same way as any other person affected.

Amendment moved— Page 19, line 32, after ("shall") insert ("give notice of the amendments to the area board concerned and shall also").—(Earl Howe.)

LORD TEMPLEMORE

The object of the Amendment is, of course, again, to require the Central Board to send to the area boards its proposals at the time of their publication, in order that those boards may meet and make objections to the proposals. There is no need, we consider, for such an additional step to be inserted in the already elaborate procedure contained in the Second Schedule for consultation. Before the point is reached at which my noble friend's Amendments would take effect, the area boards will have met and reported on the Central Board's proposals in draft. After considering the reports of an area board the Central Board's proposals will be published in order that persons affected by them may have an opportunity to lodge objections. The individual members of the area board will accordingly have an opportunity to lodge objections during the objection period. Moreover, the area boards will meet to consider all the objections lodged during the period, and to make a report thereon to the Central Board under the procedure of the Second Schedule, and after that a minimum period of three months must elapse. During that period the area boards will meet and report to the Central Board at least twice, and they will meet at least three times if any important alteration is made after the proposals are published.

EARL HOWE

I do not quite gather whether the noble Lord dealt with the proposal which I tried to make, which is where the Central Board has amended the proposals. I agree with what he said with regard to objections, but I do not know whether he dealt with my point about amendments. Every one concerned with the nature of the amendments is notified except the area board.

LORD TEMPLEMORE

I think they are informed.

LORD ADDISON

I think it is already provided for in the Bill, and that they will have at least two meetings after being so informed.

LORD TEMPLEMORE

I think Clause 3, subsection (3) (lines 35 to 38) deals with the point which the noble Earl is after.

EARL HOWE

Yes, it deals with it in respect of everybody else except the area boards.

LORD TEMPLEMORE

If the noble Earl will allow me I will look into the matter again, if he will withdraw his Amendment.

EARL HOWE

With the leave of the Committee I will withdraw my Amendment. My other Amendments to this Schedule, which follow, are consequential.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Second Schedule agreed to.

Third Schedule: