§ Amendments reported (according to Order).
§ LORD CHORLEYMy Lords, I beg to move that the Amendments printed on the Order Paper be accepted. These Amendments, of which there are three, have been drafted in order to meet a request which was made by the noble Lord, Lord Cherwell, during the discussion on the Committee stage and, I think, on the Second Reading. He asked that the appointed members of the development councils might be appointed after consultation 122 with the organizations in the industry. As the clause originally stood, the President of the Board of Trade or Minister concerned was given a discretion to make these consultations, and the noble Lord, Lord Cherwell, wished that it might be obligatory. Substantial assurances were given both in your Lordships' House and in another place that this in fact would be done but, since there was a desire that it should be included in the Bill, the Government have tabled these Amendments in order that it shall be obligatory to consult the organizations representing the trades in question. The Amendments are moved for that purpose.
While dealing with this, perhaps your Lordships would allow me to make one reference to a statement which I made in answer to a question by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas of Chilworth, during the Committee stage of this Bill. The noble Lord asked whether any members who were appointed to the development council to represent marketing and distribution would be included among the independent members, and I told him that when they were brought in, so to speak, to represent marketing or distribution generally it was the intention of my right honourable and learned friend that they should be classed with the independent members. Unfortunately, in the OFFICIAL REPORT it appears that the intention was that they should not in fact be classed with the independent members. It is, however, the intention of my right honourable friend that any members appointed specifically to represent distribution and marketing should be among the independent members and I wish to have that made quite clear. With that explanation, and with the explanation which I have given for these Amendments, I beg to move.
§
Amendment moved—
Page 3, line 23, after ("council") insert ("and").—(Lord Chorley.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§
Amendment moved—
Page 3, line 24, leave out from ("membership") to the end of line 26.—(Lord Charley)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Amendment moved—
§
Page 3, line 26 at end insert—
("(6) Before appointing persons to be members of a development council of the categories specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) respectively of subsection (3) of this section,
123
the Board or Minister concerned shall consult such representative organisations as are mentioned, in relation to persons carrying on business in the industry and to persons employed therein respectively, in subsection (3) of Section one of this Act.")—(Lord Chorley.)
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, this does meet the point that was raised by my noble friend Lord Cherwell, when this Bill was last before the House, and it meets it in the way that the noble Lord has been good enough to outline to us. All I can say is that I am very much obliged.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.