§ [No. 55]
§ Schedule 4, page 28, line 26, at end insert—
§ ("The Farriers (Registration) Act 1975
§ 6. In paragraph l(f) of Schedule 1 (Farriers Registration Council), for the words "Small Industries Council for Rural Areas of Scotland", there shall be substituted the words" Scottish Development Agency".")
§ Lord KIRKHILLMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 55. The Amendment substitutes the Scottish Development Agency for the Small Industries Council for Rural Areas of Scotland as one of the bodies which nominates a member to the Farriers Registration Council. This is an Amendment which is absolutely necessary and is not one upon which I need comment further.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.— [Lord Kirkhill.]
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, I can see that this is part of the repeals necessary because of the Scottish Development Agency now incorporating the work which the Small Industries Council for Rural Areas of Scotland previously did. May I, on this last Amendment, take the opportunity of thanking the noble Lord, Lord Kirkhill, for having carried out what is always a difficult task, one which I certainly found difficult in over 15 years in the other place when dealing with your Lordship's Amendments, in dealing with Motions of this kind. The noble Lord, Lord Kirkhill, has not been concerned with this Bill in its earlier stages and therefore has had to deal with it right at its end. We thank him for the helpful way in which he has been able to put these Amendments to us. I should also like to take the opportunity of thanking the noble Lord, Lord Hughes, who dealt with all the earlier stages of this Bill.
§ Lord KIRKHILLMy Lords, may I say simply a sincere "Thank you" to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Croy, for his kind words. I hope he has borne with me, as I inadvertently turned over two pages of my brief at once at an earlier stage and became somewhat confused between the Amendments to be taken en bloc and those to be taken 698 singly. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed this first experience.
§ Lord HUGHESMy Lords, may I express thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Croy, for his references to me. We had differences in the earlier stages of the Bill, and the noble Lord will remember that when certain things were done I predicted the course of action which was likely to be taken in another place. These forecasts, not surprisingly, have proved to be accurate. I am grateful that the noble Lord, Lord Campbell of Croy, at the final stage has accepted that the will of the other place must prevail. I hope some of the fears which have been expressed about this Bill will prove to be as groundless as were the fears which were expressed a number of years ago when the Highlands and Islands Development Act was going through Parliament, and that for Scotland as a whole the Agency will perform as useful a function as the Highlands and Islands Development Board, in their more restricted sphere, have performed for the Highlands.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.