§ [No. 11]
§
Clause 12, page 13, line 19, at end insert:
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall be construed as conferring authority on the Minister or Secretary of State to wind up the Agricultural Marketing Fund or, as the case may be, the Agricultural Marketing (Scotland) Fund.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 11. This is a clarifying Amendment and even without it the clause would not give my right honourable friends power to wind up the Funds mentioned in the Bill from which loans are made to agricultural marketing boards. Section 22(1) of the Agricultural Marketing Act 1958 lays down that the Funds shall continue in 846 existence by the names which they now bear, and I am advised that nothing in this clause would supersede or alter that provision. I can also assure your Lordships that my right honourable friends have no desire to wind up these Funds. They consider, however, that power should be taken to keep the balances in the Funds in line with requirements. An assurance was sought in Committee in another place that reducing the balances to zero would not automatically wind up the Funds. This Amendment makes it abundantly clear that that is not so. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Earl Ferrers.)