§ [No. 14]
§ Clause 5, page 4, line 36, leave out ("with the approval of the Secretary of State").
§ 7.5 p.m.
§ Lord LOVELL-DAVISMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 14. The intention behind the original provision for the Secretary of State's approval was to prevent a proliferation of committees. There is always a great temptation to establish committee after committee. We were anxious to avoid this and thereby leave as much responsibility as possible clearly resting with the board of the Agency themselves. However, we accept that on one construction the provision could be interpreted as diminishing the stature of the Agency and their board, as the noble Baroness, Lady White, emphasised during an earlier stage of the Bill, if the Agency were prevented from deciding what committees they needed to organise themselves most efficiently. The Government therefore accept this Amendment. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Lovell-Davis.)
709§ Baroness WHITEMy Lords, I should like to express my satisfaction that the Government have accepted an Amendment which gives to the Agency the powers which I should have thought any reputable Agency ought to possess.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.