Rating in Northern Ireland

Orders of the Day — Telecommunications Bill – in the House of Commons at 4:15 pm on 29 March 1983.

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Photo of Mr John Butcher Mr John Butcher , Coventry South West 4:15, 29 March 1983

I beg to move amendment No. 32 in page 27, line 26, leave out 'Secretary of State' and insert 'Department of Finance and Personnel for Northern Ireland (in this section referred to as "the Department")'.

Photo of Mr Bernard Weatherill Mr Bernard Weatherill , Croydon North East

With this it will be convenient to take Government amendments Nos. 33 to 38.

Photo of Mr John Butcher Mr John Butcher , Coventry South West

The amendments are largely technical. They simply correct an anomaly in the clause as drafted. Clause 27 concerns rating in Northern Ireland and provides that any order should be made by the Secretary of State. We have since been advised that rating is a transferred matter for the purposes of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. Therefore, it is more appropriate that the local Department rather than the Secretary of State should make the orders. The amendments simply replace references to the Secretary of State by references to the Department throughout the clause.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendments made: No. 33, in page 27, line 32, leave out 'Secretary of State' and insert 'Department'.

No. 34, in page 27, line 34, leave out 'he' and insert `the Department'.

No. 35, in page 27, line 41, leave out 'Secretary of State' and insert 'Department'.

No. 36, in page 28, line 1, leave out 'Secretary of State' and insert 'Department'.

No. 37, in page 28, line 24, leave out 'Secretary of State' and insert 'Department'.

No. 38, in page 28, line 26, leave out from 'to' to the end of line 31 and insert 'negative resolution within the meaning of section 41(6) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954'.—[Mr. Butcher.]