Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation Bill (Hansard, 27 March 1995)

§ Lord Stewartby

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

I do not want to detain your Lordships for more than a moment, but I should like to express thanks to those members of the small but distinguished Committee which carefully examined the business of the Bill. They made a recommendation on a vote of three to two that the sponsors of the Bill should seek to arrange with the Registrar of Friendly Societies that some of the places on the board of the new heritage foundation should be open to election by direct franchise in Letchworth. The sponsors have assured me that they will try to achieve that as soon as possible in accordance with the wishes of the Committee. However, no change is made to the text of the Bill; and, therefore, I hope that the Bill which has been favourably received in all parts of your Lordships' House may now complete its progress.

§ Baroness Hamwee

My Lords, perhaps I may take another moment to add my thanks to those of the noble Lord, Lord Stewartby. As the noble Lord said, the 1409 selection of the members of the board of management was a matter of concern to many of the petitioners. It was a concern that I mentioned to the House at Second Reading.

I am grateful to the committee for having pursued the matter and for having sought the views of the Registrar of Friendly Societies as there was a widespread understanding that the election would not be an acceptable procedure under the rules governing industrial and provident societies. I was glad to learn that the registrar wrote to the Committee that at no time had he said that a structure involving direct election of governors by a constituency comprising the town of Letchworth, or a section of that town, would be unacceptable. I am glad that the Committee decided to allow for direct election of six of the 30 governors.

I, too, wish to support the Third Reading of the Bill and to wish the foundation well in the years ahead.