Clause 3 - Sections 1 and 2: supplemental
Horserace Betting and Olympic Lottery Bill
10:15 am
Mr Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport and Tourism), Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Sheffield Central, Labour)
I thank the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire for tabling this probing amendment, and I think that the hon. Member for Torbay (Mr. Sanders) has misinterpreted it.
Amendment No. 1 would ensure that after dissolution the Tote board members would continue to be board members of the successor company. That would be the case. I want to put it on record that the Tote board does an excellent job and will, no doubt, continue to do so until the point of sale. When the successor company has been sold to a new owner—this is where there is a difference of opinion—the new owner will appoint the board. We do not want to tie the hands of the new owner in this matter. That will not affect anyone's rights under employment law and the executive directors, like other employees, will be protected under clause 3(6). I ask the hon. Member for South-East Cambridgeshire to withdraw his amendment.