HL Deb 22 December 1919 vol 38 cc504-5

Returned from the Commons with certain of the Amendments made by the Lords agreed to, with a consequential Amendment: Certain others disagreed to, but Amendments made in lieu thereof: One other Amendment disagreed to, with a reason for such disagreement.

THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH

Before we proceed to consider the Amendments, I have a Question to put to my noble and learned friend. During the debate on this Bill I think that there was a misapprehension. Your Lordships are aware that in Part I of the Bill the acquisition of land by purchase takes place, and I think it was generally understood that by far the greater part of the ex-Service men would be settled under that portion of the Bill in small holding colonies, and that only a comparatively small number would be settled under Part II, or rather under the Act of 1911 which is amended by Part II of this Bill. Certain of your Lordships, after hearing or reading speeches by the noble and learned Lord and by the Secretary for Scotland, seem to have got an impression that only a very small number of men would be settled under Part I, and that the greater number would be settled under Part II. I do not myself share that view. I certainly thought that the opposite was the case. But there are some noble Lords who were somewhat apprehensive, and I think that probably they must have misunderstood the speech of my noble and learned friend. Perhaps he would state what the Government policy is.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD BIRKENHEAD)

The noble Duke, I think, is entirely right in the relative importance which he attributed to Part I of the Bill, and I believe that the only reason for the misapprehension which he imagines to have arisen from the speech either of the Secretary for Scotland in another place or from my observations here, is to be found in the fact that we were both of us in the main replying to criticims which were made upon Part II. But I assent completely to what the noble Duke has stated to the House is his impression of the part which Part I is intended to bear in the general working out of the scheme.

Moved, that the Commons Reasons be now considered.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

[NOTE.—The references are to Bill (240) as first printed for the House of Lords.]