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Banking Bill

My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendment 78. The two amendments amend Clause 227(6) and (7) which were introduced in Committee by the Government. Together with new subsection (5), they cover emergency access to the Consolidated Fund when it is too urgent to seek parliamentary approval. My amendments replace the blanket permission in subsection (6) not to reveal the identity of the financial institution which receives urgent financial assistance with a more specific public interest let out which is already contained in subsection (7). Since tabling the amendment, I have noticed that in Amendment 80 the Government have tabled similar subsections to Clause 228 and my amendments should be mirrored there. My amendments do not mandate the disclosure of recipients, but they do not allow the emergency procedure to be used as a cover for anonymity when the public interest is not at stake. It seems to me that it is only the public interest that the Government can pray in aid for nondisclosure. I hope that the Minister will see that as reasonable. I beg to move.