§ 15 Page 13, line 23, leave out from ("as") to end of line 24 and insert ("the Committee may determine or as may be referred to the Committee by the Secretary of State").
§ Lord GlenarthurMy Lords, I beg to move that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 15.
§ This amendment fulfils a commitment given by the Government at the Committee stage of the Bill in another place. During the Committee stage discussion it was suggested to us that the earlier drafting of Clause 20(1) implied a very deferential status for suggestions emanating from the Animal Procedures Committee as to the work which it should carry out in order to fulfil its task of advising the Secretary of State on the working of the Bill. A number of suggestions were made as to how the drafting might be improved and we undertook to bring forward a suitable amendment at Report stage. The amendment before your Lordships' House is the amendment which we brought forward and which was accepted in another place. With the incorporation of the amendment, Clause 20(1) makes it quite clear that the committee will be able to put forward ideas for its work, in addition to the ideas which may be referred to it by the Secretary of State. Throughout the passage of this Bill we have made clear the very great importance which we attach to the work of the Animal Procedures Committee and the crucial role which we see it playing in ensuring that the Bill works as we hope it will. This amendment is further evidence of that commitment. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That this House do agree with the Commons in the said amendment.—(Lord Glenarthur.)
§ Lord Houghton of SowerbyMy Lords, I referred to this amendment earlier on and I rise just for a moment or two to stress its importance.
This amendment establishes the complete independence of the Animal Procedures Committee. I remind your Lordships of the original text of Clause 20(1):
It shall be the duty of the Animal Procedures Committee to advise the Secretary of State on such matters concerned with this Act and his functions under it as he may refer to them either of his own motion or at the Committee's request".600 This amendment provides for the committee to determine for itself what matters it may wish to deal with in addition to those being referred by the Secretary of State himself. I should like to see this in the terms of reference of all advisory committees and others appointed to give Ministers the benefit of advice and experience. But I am happy that it has been done in this case because of the importance that we attach to the functions of the committee alongside this elaborate apparatus of administrative responsibility and authority by the Secretary of State.I welcome this especially. The House may recall that it is one of the matters that I said (probably at the time of Third Reading of the Bill in your Lordships'House) should receive attention in another place. It has, and here it is.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.