Clause 1
Holocaust (Stolen Art) Restitution Bill
9:30 am
Andrew Dismore (Hendon, Labour)
Thank you, Mr. Cook. I welcome you to the Chair of this Committee, which I hope will not detain us long. The Bill has found favour throughout the House and we have been able to proceed with a friendly consensus on this important issue.
It will be apparent to Committee members that the amendments and new clauses constitute a major redrafting of the Bill, but the policy and sense of it remain unchanged. The amendments are parliamentary counsel’s redrafting of my original text. Parliamentary counsel’s text is in plain English and may be more precise than my own—though perhaps not as elegantly drafted. Legislation needs to be precise in order to work.
On Second Reading it was asked whether the Bill had any tax implications. There are not many tax implications, but the Treasury is looking at whether the tax rules need to be changed. If so, that will be done through the Finance Bill or tax rules changes rather than amendments to this Bill, which would be inappropriate.
New clauses 1 and 2 replace clause 1, and I invite the Committee, when the time comes, to vote against clause stand part and to vote for new clauses 1 and 2. New clause 1 provides for the power to transfer, as opposed to the original language of “de-accession”, so jargon is being replaced by plain English, but the substance of the power remains the same. It also makes provision for Scotland, as the Scottish Executive now wish Scotland to be included. There are also other, consequential amendments to that effect.
New clause 2 makes provision for the advisory panel and spells out in more detail the provisions in clause 1(2). Again, the substance is the same. I urge the Committee to vote against clause stand part, and for new clauses 1 and 2.