§ [Nos. 15 and 16.]
§ Clause 71, page 46, line 27, leave out A statutory officer shall vacate his office' and insert 'Subject to subsection (4), a statutory officer shall retire ',
§
Clause 71, page 46, line 29, at end insert—
'(4) Before appointing a person as a statutory officer the Lord Chancellor may, having regard to the age of the person to be appointed and such other circumstances as the Lord Chancellor considers relevant, direct that subsection (3) shall, in its application to that person, have effect with the substitution for the age of 72 years of such lower age as may be specified in the direction.'.
§ The LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I beg, to move that this House cloth agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 15 and 16, with which is linked Amendment No. 69. These three Amendments enable the Lord Chancellor to specify, in relation to any statutory officer appointed after the commencement of the Bill, that that person shall retire at an age which is lower than the age of 72, the age laid down in Clause 71(3). I ought to point out that the question of retirement age would be a matter for negotiation with the prospective appointee before he is appointed, so he is not cut suddenly short in his prime. Once he is in post, his retirement age would not be altered to his disadvantage without his consent. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendments.—(The Lord Chancellor.)