HL Deb 10 May 1967 vol 282 cc1429-30

After Clause 13, insert the following new Clause—

Subsidies under Part I not payable in certain circumstances

(" . In respect of any year during which a local authority fails to satisfy the Minister that it grants rent relief only to those of its tenants who need it and to the extent that they need it, no subsidies shall be payable under this Part of this Act to that local authority.")

The Commons disagreed to this Amendment for the following reason:

Because it would alter the financial arrangements made by the Commons and the Commons do not offer any further Reason, trusting that this Reason will be deemed sufficient.

LORD KENNET

My Lords, the Amendment in question is your Lordships' Amendment No. 6, which the noble Lord, Lord Brooke of Cumnor, moved during Committee stage in this House. I beg to move that this House doth not insist on this Amendment to which the Commons have disagreed. The House will recall that this Amendment, which was carried against the advice of the Government, sought to restrict the payment of the subsidies under Part I of the Bill to those local authorities who satisfied the Minister that they granted rent relief only to those of their tenants who need it and to the extent that they need it. The Commons have disagreed to the Amendment on the grounds that it alters the financial arrangements made by the Commons. The Amendment clearly has this effect, since it restricts the circumstances in which the Minister may distribute the new subsidies and introduces a new factor into the financial arrangements governing the distribution of the subsidies.

I think there is no need for me to go again into the merits of the case, which have been fully argued on both sides and on several occasions during the passage of the Bill through both Houses. The House of Commons have rejected the Amendment on grounds which they are entitled to invoke, and I trust your Lordships will accept that conclusion. I beg to move.

Moved, That this House doth not insist on the said Amendment.—(Lord Kennet.)

LORD BROOKE OF CUMNOR

My Lords, as this is a matter of finance there is no more to be done in your Lordships' House; nor is there much more to be said, except that the Government are now self-declared wasters of public money, for they are insisting on deleting a clause which says that the taxpayers need not provide large new subsidies to such local authorities as are choosing to use existing subsidies wastefully.

On Question, Motion agreed to.