Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill — Clause 1 — Consideration of Clawback Conditions When Providing Financial Assistance for the Provision of Infrastructure — 15 Oct 2012 at 21:00

The majority of MPs voted against requiring reasonable consideration to be given to clawback conditions to safeguard best value for the taxpayer when spending on financial assistance for the provision of infrastructure.

MPs were considering the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill^[1]. The amendment rejected in this vote was:

• Amendment 7, in page 2, line 3, at end insert—

‘(6A) In any agreement to give financial assistance in this section the Treasury or Secretary of State shall give reasonable consideration to clawback provisions which safeguard best value for the taxpayer.’.

This would have affected clause 1(1) of the Bill^[2] which started:

• There may be paid out of money provided by Parliament expenditure incurred
• (a) by the Treasury, or
• (b) by the Secretary of State with the consent of the Treasury,
• in giving, or in connection with giving, financial assistance to any person in respect of the provision of infrastructure.

Infrastructure was subsequently defined as including (a) water, electricity, gas, telecommunications, sewerage or other services, (b) railway facilities (including rolling stock), roads or other transport facilities, (c) health or educational facilities, (d) court or prison facilities, and (e) housing.

and went on to make more detailed provisions about the financial assistance for the provision of infrastructure, which the proposed amendment would have added to.

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Act 2012
• [2] Clause 1 of the Bill as at the time of the vote
• [3] Sajid Javid MP (Bromsgrove, Conservative), House of Commons, 15 OCtiber 2012

Debate in Parliament | Source |