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. 52. This Amendment removes the obligation from the Agency to increase the pensions of the members of the Agency, and the compensation payments which may be made to present members of the Scottish Industrial Estates Corporation and the small Industries Council for Rural Areas of Scotland by reference to the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971. As the reference in paragraph 2 of this Schedule to the Pensions (Increase) Act 1971 at present stands, the Agency would be obliged to increase pensions of their members and staff and compensation payments to members and staff of the Scottish Industrial Estates Corporation and the Small Industries Council for Rural Areas of Scotland in accordance with increases under that Act.
695 But with regard to the pensions of members of the Agency, the situation could arise whereby a member negotiated continuation of very generous pension arrangements which he enjoyed in his previous employment; these might have provided adequate cover for inflation and the application of pensions increases to them would be unduly generous. An obligation on the Agency to apply such an increase is therefore inappropriate. As regards compensation for SICRAS and SIEC members, this will take the form of an immediate lump sum and would clearly be ineligible for pensions increase. I beg to move.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY
My Lords, I do not wish to confuse the issue but it seems to me that what the noble Lord has been saying applies to Amendment No. 54 rather than No. 52. As I understand it, Amendment No. 52 is a matter of accounting. I would not ask the noble Lord to repeat it and, if I am right in thinking that what he has been saying applies to Amendment No. 54, I shall be happy to regard it as having been said as applying to Amendment No. 54 when we reach that point.

§ Lord KIRKHILL
My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Croy. I did in fact flick over two pages and spoke to the wrong Amendment. I apologise to your Lordships for that error. If I might revert to what I meant to say regarding Amendment No. 52, the Amendment obliges my right honourable friend the Secretary of State, in determining the statement of account which the Agency must prepare and submit to him annually. to prescribe a form conforming to the best commercial standards.
In Committee in another place, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland said during the discussion on the amendment to Schedule 2, that he would like every public body to produce accounts which are intelligible, which give the maximum amount of information, and which conform to the best accountancy standards. He undertook to see whether there was any way of putting something in the Bill which will help to 696 achieve that. This Amendment is the result, and, since it is virtually identical to one tabled by noble Lords opposite during Committee, I am sure it will commend itself to your Lordships' House.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY
My Lords, this is an improvement and means that the best commercial standards should be observed in the accountancy involved with the Agency.