HC Deb 18 December 1968 vol 775 cc1474-6
Mr. Merlyn Rees

I beg to move Amendment No. 44, in page 42, line 6, at beginning insert:

9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 3. The Coatbridge and Springburn Elections (Validation) Act 1945. The whole Act.
9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 43. The Camberwell, Bristol and Nottingham Elections (Validation) Act 1946. The whole Act.
12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6. c. 46. The House of Commons (Indemnification of Certain Members) Act i 1949. The whole Act.
Mr. Speaker

With that Amendment we can take Amendment No. 48.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

The purpose of these Amendments is to include in Schedule 4 certain indemnity Acts which are spent. The Law Commission has drawn attention to the fact that these Acts can now be repealed, and it is proposed to include them in the "dead wood" Schedule to the Bill.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I beg to move Amendment No. 45, in page 42, line 11, column 3, at end insert 'Section 102'.

The purpose of the Amendment is to repeal Section 102 of the Representation of the People Act, 1949. That Section made unlawful the expenditure of certain moneys in payment of any expenses incurred in a Parliamentary election. This is now dealt with in another part of the Bill. It is a nineteenth century provision, which to all intents and purposes has in practice been overtaken and superceded by Section 63 of the 1949 Act. The opportunity could have been taken to repeal this provision in the 1948 Act, but it was overlooked. It was not possible to deal with it in 1949, because that was a consolidating Measure. The time has come to deal with it in this way.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

I beg to move Amendment No. 46, in page 42, line 13, column 3, at end insert 'Section 145 (4) from the words "The reference" onwards'.

Mr. Speaker

With that Amendment we can take Amendment No. 47.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

These two Amendments remove words from both Section 145 (4) and Section 152 (6) of the Representation of the People Act 1949. Perhaps to save time I can say that this refers to rules made before the passing of the Corrupt and Illegal Practices Prevention Act, 1883. There are no longer any such rules as are excluded by the subsection.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendments made: No. 47, in page 42, line 16, column 3, at end insert: 'Section 152 (6) from the words "The reference" onwards'.

No. 48, in page 42, line 34, at end insert:

2 & 3 Eliz. 2. c. 29. The Niall Macpherson Indemnity Act 1954. The whole Act.
4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 10. The Validation of Elections Act 1955. The whole Act.
4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 12. The Validation of Elections (No. 2) Act 1955. The whole Act.
4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 13. The Validation of Elections (No. 3) Act 1955. The whole Act.
4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 27. The Charles Beattie Indemnity Act 1956. The whole Act.

No. 49, in page 44, line 28, column 3, at end insert 'Section 97'.

No. 50, in page 44, line 41, column 3, leave out '(3) and'.

No. 55, in page 45, line 12, at end insert:

4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 60. The Valuation and Rating (Scotland) Act 1956. Section 35.

—[Mr. Callaghan.]

Forward to