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Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 78: 78: Clause 18, page 9, line 27, after ““shall”” insert ““publish their draft proposals for distributing money under subsection (1) and”” The noble Lord said: The final amendments dealing with the money that is to be given to the devolved Executives are simple. They attempt to inject a little more transparency into the process. The dissatisfaction that might be felt by those who felt excluded from the process has already been discussed. The amendments would merely require the devolved Executives to make public how they intend to spend the money that the Secretary of State awards to them. As already said, the Bill contains remarkably little scrutiny of how the money is to be spent, particularly by the wider public. The Government have failed to consult the public in even the most desultory way about where the money is to be spent. It would be overly optimistic to expect the devolved Executives to be more conscientious. The amendments would make sure that the public in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have at least some opportunity to comment on where the money is to go. I beg to move.