COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 22 November 1954)

§ LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, the four Amendments which go together here are those to Clause 7, at page 8, lines 18 and 20, and to the Second Schedule, at page 37, lines 9 and 10. The first two Amendments refer to Section 14 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, and Clause 7 of this Bill, which deal with the registration of premises, and state that if, in the case of registered premises, it appears to the local authority that the requirements of hygiene regulations are not complied with, they shall serve on the occupier a notice inviting him to appear before them. The section is so worded that, however slight the infringement of the regulations may be, the local authority are bound to do this. As your Lordships will realise, in most cases the local authority have no intention of cancelling or terminating the registration, and it seems superfluous for them to be obliged to send out these notices. The first Amendment 1711 puts this right. The second Amendment extends from fourteen to twenty-one days the time which the local authority must allow the trader to prepare his case. The third and fourth Amendments make similar alterations in the Food and Drugs (Milk, Dairies and Artificial Cream) Act, 1950. I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.