HL Deb 20 February 1979 vol 398 cc1701-3

3.5 p.m.

Lord REIGATE

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now resolve itself into Committee on this Bill.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Reigate.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[The LORD ABERDARE in the Chair.]

Clause 1 [Trustees of the National Land Fund]:

Lord REIGATE moved Amendment No. 1: Page 1, line 7, leave out ("Land") and insert ("Heritage").

The noble Lord said: I beg to move the first Amendment standing in my name on the Marshalled List. It is very simple. It is to remove the word "Land" from the Title of the Bill and from the name of the Fund itself, and insert the word "Heritage". I did not do this at an earlier stage because I sought to amend the existing National Land Fund structure. However, in view of the discussion that continues in the public Press, it seems to me better that the Bill and the Fund should now be known as the National Heritage Fund, as that is the name by which it is becoming known in common parlance. I beg to move.

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION and SCIENCE (Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge)

I have no objection to this Amendment.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Clause 1, as amended, agreed to.

Clauses 2 and 3 agreed to.

Clause 4 [Appointment and dismissal of Trustees]:

Lord REIGATE moved Amendment No. 2: Page 2, line 32, leave out ("Secretary of State") and insert ("Prime Minister").

The noble Lord said: I beg to move Amendment No. 2. This is quite a simple Amendment. At the moment, as the Bill stands the Secretary of State, unspecified, can appoint the Trustees. In view of the fact that several departments are interested, I think it would be far more satisfactory and indicative of the status which I wish to see attached to the office of Trustee that it should be a Prime Minister's appointment. I beg to move.

Lord DONALDSON of KINGS-BRIDGE

I do not wish to argue this case now; we shall have the opportunity to do so when a Government Bill on the same subject comes up. I would only reserve my position on this particular point.

Lord REIGATE

I should be more impressed by that argument if I knew when the Government Bill was coming up.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

[Amendment No. 3 not moved.]

Clause 4, as amended, agreed to.

Clause 5 [Short Title Commencement and Repeals]:

Lord REIGATE moved Amendment No. 4: Page 3, line 1, leave out ("Land") and insert ("Heritage").

The noble Lord said: This is a consequential Amendment.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Clause 5, as amended, agreed to.

House resumed: Bill reported with the Amendments.