§ [Nos. 1 and 2]
§
Clause 4, page 7, line 4, at end insert—
("( ) Sums payable in respect of contributions from air travel organisers to whom this section applies shall be paid by instalments at intervals of not more than three months and no such sum shall be payable before 1st September 1975.")
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The Commons disagree to this Amendment for the following Reason:
Because it is desirable in the interests of flexibility to leave the times at which and the manner in which contributions are to be paid by air travel organisers for the purposes of the Air Travel Reserve Fund to be determined by regulations made by virtue of clause 4 of the Bill.
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth not insist on their Amendment to Clause 4 to which the Commons have disagreed. Noble Lords will probably have seen the Reason for the Commons disagreement stated on the Order Paper; namely;
Because it is desirable in the interests of flexibility to leave the times at which and the manner in which contributions are to be paid by air travel organisers for the purposes of the Air Travel Reserve Fund to be determined by regulations made by virtue of clause 4 of the Bill.I dealt with this before the Bill left this House, and I think we had reached some understanding on the Motion, That the Bill do now pass. On that basis, I hope that the Motion will be accepted.
§ Moved, That this House doth not insist on the Amendment to which the Commons have disagreed.—(Lard Beswick.)
§ Lord BELSTEADMy Lords, although the House of Commons have not agreed to write this Amendment into the Bill, the Government have given a firm undertaking in another place that they accept the second half of this Amendment, and that regulations will provide that the levy is not to be paid before 1st September. May I just say that this is welcome, because it will enable air 1411 travel organisers to make sensible arrangements to prepare to pay the levy without in any way altering the purpose of the Bill. The Fund will come into effect immediately this Bill receives Royal Assent, because it is underwritten by £50 million. May I also say that I welcome the Government's undertaking in another place to discuss the intention of the first half of the Amendment with the travel trade. I believe that quarterly payments can be arranged, and I trust that the Government will be able to listen to what the air travel representatives have to say before the regulations are made.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.