§ [No. 31.]
§
Clause 11, page 14, line 40, at end insert:
(3A) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, before he makes the services of any officer of a Health Authority available in pursuance of subsection (1)(b) or subsection (3)(h) or (c) of this section, to consult the officer or a body recognised by the Secretary of State as representing the officer about the matter or to satisfy himself that the Health Authority has consulted the officer about the matter; but
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the Secretary of State shall be entitled to disregard the preceding provisions of this subsection in a case where he considers it necessary to make the services of an officer available as aforesaid for the purpose of dealing temporarily with an emergency and has previously consulted such a body about the making available of services in an emergency.
§ 5.50 p.m.
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, this Amendment places on the Secretary of State the duty to ensure that officers whose services are to be made available to local authorities are consulted first either individually or through their representative bodies, but exempts him from the duty in cases of emergency where the staff representative bodies have been consulted about the general arrangements for dealing with emergencies. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Aberdare.)
§ LORD GARNSWORTHYBriefly, my Lords, we appreciate very much the introduction of this Amendment. The Bill is the better for it and I express gratitude.
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.