Clause 17
Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill [Lords]
3:45 pm
Kerry McCarthy (PPS (Rt Hon Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State), Department for International Development; Bristol East, Labour)
I entirely understand where the hon. Gentleman is coming from and I appreciate the intention behind the amendment. I am keen to ensure that there is no such element of substitution. Local authorities rightly make decisions on whether to fund new projects or carry on funding existing projects. It would be difficult to implement the amendment without tying the hands of local authorities and saying that they must continue to fund existing projects. If they withdrew the funding for an existing project, they would not be able to use the new money to replace it. I am concerned by the practicalities.