COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 30 October 1975)

§ Lord KIRKHILL

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 1. Before dealing with this Amendment, may I say in response to the intervention of the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Croy, that I personally was aware of what I regarded as perhaps an incorrect Press statement and, of course, I duly noted the public statement which the noble Lord made about that very matter.

This Amendment seeks to increase the number of members, other than the chairman, who may be appointed to the Agency from six to eight. An Amendment was made to the Industry Bill on Report to increase the NEB's minimum membership from six to eight. The Welsh Development Agency Bill provides for between six and eight members, other than the chairman and deputy chairman, and during the discussion in Committee in another place on the size of the Agency my right honourable friend seemed to find a strong argument for putting the number up from six, rather than for changing the maximum number. He went on to say that he thought eight was a reasonable number, bearing in mind the diversity of the Agency's functions.