§ 5.14 p.m.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGSBRIDGE rose to move, That the Draft Recreation (Northern Ireland) Order 1975, laid before the House on 25th March, be approved. The noble Lord said: My Lords, the main purpose of this Order is to give district councils powers of compulsory acquisition of land required for recreation facilities. It also seeks provision for the Department of Education for Northern Ireland to offer financial assistance to voluntary groups providing local community facilities, and for the appointment and remuneration of a Vice-Chairman of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. These provisions bring the law in Northern Ireland into line with that in Great Britain.
§ The main provision of the Order is in Article 3, which restores to local authorities the power to acquire land compulsorily for recreational purposes. This power was inadvertently removed from district councils in the course of the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland in 1973.
§ Article 4 of the Draft Order seeks to give the Department of Education the necessary powers to enable it to assist voluntary bodies with the cost of providing certain facilities. Under present legislation, the Department may pay grants to district councils to assist the provision of facilities for recreational, social, physical and cultural activities, and to voluntary bodies in respect of facilities for recreation, sport and the youth service. This Order proposes to extend these powers to include assistance to voluntary bodies for a wider range of social and community facilities. Noble Lords will want to know that in practice it is intended that grants to voluntary groups will still normally be paid by district councils. The Government are anxious that district councils should become much more deeply involved in helping community groups; and the Department of Education has already asked the district councils to act as the main channel for grants and advice to community groups. The planning of this system is well advanced. The powers which the Department of Education 44 would be given by this amendment are being sought only in order to give the Department freedom of action should any alterations prove necessary in future to the arrangements now being worked out with the district councils.
§ Article 5 deals with the appointment of a Vice-Chairman of the Sports Council for Northern Ireland. Unlike its counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales, which were established by Royal Charters, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland was set up under the Recreation and Youth Service (Northern Ireland) Order 1973, which makes provision for the appointment and remuneration of a Chairman, but not a Vice-Chairman. Article 5 seeks to regularise this position by making provision for the appointment of a Vice-Chairman. It also enables the Council, subject to the approval of the Department, to pay the Vice-Chairman a salary.
§ In conclusion, may I emphasise that this Draft Order seeks to provide powers for district councils and the Department of Education to further the present efforts in the field of recreational and community services to create an improved quality of life for the people of the Province. We take the view that the provision of such facilities is of the greatest importance. My Lords, I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Draft Recreation (Northern Ireland) Order 1975, laid before the House on 25th March, be approved.—(Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge.)
§ 5.18 p.m.
§ Lord BELSTEADMy Lords, following the noble Lord's very thorough explanation of this Order, for which I am grateful, may I say that I am not quite sure whether the compulsory purchase powers were left out by mistake in 1973. I cordially dislike compulsory purchase powers and I should like still to see them omitted, but I am not prepared to argue the matter in order to hold up an Order of which I otherwise thoroughly approve.
May I say three things to the noble Lord—and I must apologise to him for the fact that none of them is a question. First, speaking for this side of the House I am delighted that the work of the Sports Council has grown to such an extent that the Chairman now needs a 45 Vice-Chairman. This is absolutely excellent. We had always hoped that the Department's work in this important field of recreation and sport which, as the noble Lord so rightly said, is central to Northern Ireland, would be a success. It would seem that it has been so. Secondly, I agree with the noble Lord that the policy concerning money given to voluntary organisations is right. Thirdly, may I express the personal hope that this kind of Order will soon he ended so far as this House is concerned. I am sure we all hope that the Elections which are taking place today in Northern Ireland will soon lead to the Province once again dealing with this kind of measure in Belfast.
§ Lord DONALDSON of KINGSBRIDGEMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reception of this Order. I heartily endorse his final remarks and I hope that he is not too optimistic. Regarding the compulsory purchase powers, which the noble Lord does not like, we have them here and they are an essential corollary of the fact that the local councils are under a statutory obligation to provide recreational facilities. If you give them that obligation, you must give them the power to do what is necessary. The Sports Council and the various facilities which the Party opposite, when they were in power, very largely began are, I think, making a very real contribution to what we hope will be more peaceful arrangements in Northern Ireland. I am grateful for the noble Lord's support.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.