HL Deb 26 June 1986 vol 477 cc417-8

[Reference is to Bill 64 as first printed for the Commons]

Clause 1, page 2, line 18, after "may,", insert "after consultation with the Corporation and".

Baroness Young

My Lords, I beg to move that this House do agree with the Commons in their amendment.

During the progress of this Bill through both Houses there was considerable debate about the desirability of providing the Secretary of State with the power to provide the Commonwealth Development Corporation with grants as well as loans. It was stated on behalf of the Government that such a power would be used by the Secretary of State only after full consultation with the corporation. An amendment was moved in another place proposing that the need to consult in this way should be made a statutory requirement. That amendment was acceptable to the Government without qualification, and I commend it to your Lordships. I beg to move.

Moved, That this House do agree with the Commons in the said amendment.—(Baroness Young.)

Lord Oram

My Lords, we on this side can readily support the noble Baroness in this amendment. 1 looked at the report of the short debate in another place, and I noticed that the honourable Member who moved this amendment claimed nothing more for it than that it would have a humble and limited effect. I think that is very true. It is in fact a useful addition to the Bill. As the Minister explained, there is a close working relationship between the ODA and the CDC, and it is clear that if the Minister was wanting to make a grant to the CDC he would in any case have consultations with that body. There is certainly no objection to making it a statutory requirement that he should have such consultation, and therefore I support the noble Baroness.

Lord Walston

My Lords, as somebody who queried the wisdom of the original powers which were in the Bill, may I say that I, too, am extremely pleased that this amendment was made in another place. 1 think it improves the Bill—a Bill which is in any case useful in its own right.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

Privilege amendment agreed to.