UK Parliament / Open data

Saving Gateway Accounts Bill

If the Minister reflects on that he will realise that the subscription limits on child trust funds and ISAs are not on all fours with what is in the Bill. I wonder whether the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee did not quite appreciate that while the matching amount in Clause 8, which is specified in affirmative regulations, clearly derives the amount of money that is spent out, less obvious is how you express the maturity and the monthly qualifying amount that derive the calculations when you get to Clause 8. It is that that will actually, and probably more significantly, derive the total cost of the scheme. That is different. It is not on all fours with changing the subscription amount to, say, a child trust fund account and an ISA, which are simply for getting tax relief on the interest. It is not the same as getting this rather large matching amount, which is in turn tax free under the scheme. With respect, I do not think the precedents cited are conclusive precedents. The financial implications of the saving gateway are derived as much from the regulations in Clause 4 as they are from Clause 8, and I wonder whether the Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee did not realise that. Clause 8 refers to money and it would be easy to think that that is where the money derives from, but it is not—it derives as much from the earlier clauses. I am not happy with what the Minister said or that the negative procedure is appropriate. The Minister said that all Oppositions have the ability to raise questions on negative resolutions, which of course they do. Affirmative regulation is not full parliamentary control but it is better than the negative because it requires the Government to come to Parliament to justify what they are asking for and to ask for approval. That is the significant difference between negative and positive. I urge the Minister to take the matter away and to reflect on whether the order-making power is correct. It is not on all fours with the examples he has given.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

709 c341-2GC 

Session

2008-09

Chamber / Committee

House of Lords Grand Committee
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