HL Deb 29 October 1981 vol 424 cc1133-8

13 Clause 14, page 15, line 5, leave out "citizen of the British Dependent Territories" and insert "British Dependent Territories' citizen"

The Commons agreed to the above amendment and have made the following consequential amendments to the Bill:

14 Clause 4, page 6, line 1, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

15 Clause 14, page 15, line 7, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

16 Clause 14, page 15, line 15, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

17 Clause 14, page 15, line 18, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

18 Clause 14, page 15, line 26, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

19 Clause 14, page 15, line 28, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

20 Clause 14, page 15, line 35, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

21 Clause 14, page 15, line 37, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

22 Clause 14, page 15, line 39, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

23 Clause 15, page 15, line 42, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

24 Clause 16, page 16, line 19, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

25 Clause 16, page 18, line 5, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

26 Clause 16, page 18, line 9, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

27 Clause 16, page 18, line 23, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

28 Clause 17, page 19, line 1, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

29 Clause 17, page 19, line 7, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

30 Clause 18, page 19, line 21, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

31 Clause 19, page 19, line 33, leave out ("citizen of the British, Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Terrtories' citizen").

32 Clause 19, page 19, line 34, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

33 Clause 19, page 19, line 41, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

34 Clause 19, page 20, line 2, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

35 Clause 19, page 20, line 13, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

36 Clause 19, page 20, line 16, leave out ("citizen of the British, Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

37 Clause 19, page 20, line 29, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

38 Clause 19, page 20, line 33, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

39 Clause 20, page 20, line 40, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

40 Clause 20, page 21, line 3, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

41 Clause 20, page 21, line 9, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

42 Clause 21, page 21, line 12, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

43 Clause 22, page 21, line 34, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

44 Clause 22, page 22, line 10, leave out ("citizen of (lie British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

45 Clause 22, page 22, line 13, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

46 Clause 22, page 22, line 29, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

47 Clause 22, page 23, line 1, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent 7erritories' citizen").

48 Clause 22, page 22, line 18, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

49 Clause 23, page 23, line 36, leave out ("citizens of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizens").

50 Clause 23, page 23, line 36, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizenship").

51 Clause 24, page 24, line 2, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

52 Clause 24, page 24, line 6 leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

53 Clause 24, page 24, line 12, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

54 Clause 24, page 24, line 26, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

55 Clause 24, page 24, line 28, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

56 Clause 24, page 24, line 33, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

57 Clause 24, page 24, line 36, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

58 Clause 24, page 24, line 41, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

59 Clause 24, page 24, line 44, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

60 Clause 24, page 25, Clause 24, page 24, line 1, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen")

61 Clause 24, page 24, line 5, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories 'citizen").

62 Clause 24, page 24, line 8, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

63 Clause25, page 23, line 23, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories")and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

64 Clause 26, page 25, line 41, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

65 Clause 36, page 29, line 6, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

66 Clause 39, page 34, line 6, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

67 Clause 39, page 34, line 7, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependant Territories' citizenship").

68 Clause 40, page 34, line 44, leave out ("citizens of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

69 Clause 41, page 37, line 6, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

70 Clause 41, page 37, line 15, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen")

71 Clause 41, page 37, line 20, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

72 Clause 42, page 37, line 30, leave out ("citizens of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependant Territories' citizens").

73 Clause 42, page 37, line 31, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizenship").

74 Clause 42, page 37, line 36, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Teritories' citizenship").

75 Clause 49, page 45, line 14, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

76 Clause 50, page 46, line, 41 leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

77 Clause 50, page 47, line 3, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

78 Schedule 1, page 52, line 12, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

79 Schedule 1, page 52, line 23, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

80 Schedule 1, page 53, line 31, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

81 Schedule 2, page 55, line 44, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

82 Schedule 1, page 56, line 45, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

83 Schedule 1, page 57, line 36, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

84 Schedule 4, page 59, line 35, leave out ("citizens of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizens").

85 Schedule 4, page 59, line 49, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

86 Schedule 5, page 60, line 25, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

87 Schedule 7, page 62, line 34, leave out ("citizens of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizens").

88 Schedule 7, page 63, line 7, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

89 Schedule 7, page 63, line 16, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

90 Schedule 7, page 63, line 32, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

91 Schedule 7, page 64, line 19, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

92 Schedule 7, page 64, line 27, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

93 Schedule 7, page 64, line 35, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

94 Schedule 7, page 65, line 2, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizenship").

95 Schedule 7, page 65, line 10, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizenship").

96 Schedule 7, page 65, line 18, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizenship").

97 Schedule 7, page 66, line 2, leave out ("citizenship of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizenship").

98 Schedule 7, page 65, line 17, leave out ("citizen of the British Dependent Territories") and insert ("British Dependent Territories' citizen").

4 p.m.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 14 and their consequential amendments and, if I may speak to them, Amendments Nos. 15 to 105, Nos. 109 to 117, No. 120, No. 121 and No. 122. All these amendments follow from the amendment which was moved by my noble friend Lord Geddes on Third Reading to change one of the references to citizenship of the British dependent territories in the Bill to "British Dependent Territories' citizenship". Once that amendment had been agreed by your Lordships' House— and it was agreed—it was clearly desirable to change all other references to citizens or citizenship of the British dependent territories in the Bill to bring them into line.

Your Lordships will recall that I had my doubts about the feasibility of this course at so late a stage of the Bill. Accordingly, I suggested that it might be necessary to insert a provision which would have ensured that the term "citizen of the British dependent territories" and "British dependent territories' citizen" were interchangeable. I cannot say that I was thanked for that particular suggestion or, perhaps to put it in parliamentary language, many of your Lordships expressed concern about it.

I am very glad to be able to say that on looking at this again, we have found it feasible to change all the references and that is what these amendments do. I think I had better end on that and then, if I may stand up again, there is the question of apostrophes which come in. I should like to collect my thoughts.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in their consequential Amendments Nos. 14 to 98.—(Lord Belstead.)

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, we on this side of the House warmly welcome what has been done by the Government and the industry which must necessarily have been applied; although I remember the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, saying that he had it already prepared. In any event, it is the case that the proposal that the Act should contain a provision of alternate meanings to the same word throughout reminds me of the writings in 1066 And All That where I think it read "for 'pheasant' read 'peasant' throughout", and it would not have been wholly acceptable. It was a suggestion met with praising with faint damns. I think it is a very useful thing to have been done and we approve of it.

Lord Skelmersdale

My Lords, before going further on this I must inform the House that there is a series of misprints on the Marshalled List in this series of amendments moved by my noble friend. They are Amendments Nos. 50, 67, 73, 74, 94, 95, 96, 97 and 98. Only half of these amendments have been printed and all should read "leave out 'citizenship of the British Dependent Territories' and insert 'British Dependent Territories' citizenship '.". I must apologise for this omission not only from the Marshalled List but from our presentation of the case.

Lord Geddes

My Lords, I should like to thank my noble friend Lord Belstead and the Government for finding their way to bring in the necessary 98 consequential amendments. I know from the reports I have received how well that has been received in the dependent territories and how much they appreciate the effort that the Government have gone to. I should like to point out that Amendment No. 98 on the Marshalled List appears still to be defective.

Lord Avebury

My Lords, I should like to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, on his initiative and persistence and I think everyone agrees that the result achieved is far better than in the original Bill. It was sensible for these amendments to be incorporated in all the places where reference is made to British dependent territories rather than simply leaving it, as was originally suggested by the Government, as a substitution in one place.

If I may ask the noble Lord the Minister to give me his attention, I asked what was intended to be a serious question on the last occasion when we were talking about Lord Geddes' amendment when, although the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, said that he had done the donkey work in going through every clause where this phrase occurs and that he was in a position to hand the Minister a list of them, the noble Lord clearly did not wish to rely entirely on Lord Geddes' industry but had to have it checked himself. I can understand that this was necessary; but I asked the noble Lord whether the Government did not have available to them the services of word processors. This was not meant to be frivolous. If such devices were available, it would be simple to go through the text of the Bill and to find every reference to this particular phrase and to replace it with an alternative phrase such as was suggested by the noble Lord, Lord Geddes. As this is not the last occasion when your Lordships will wish to put in an amendment which occurs in several places in a Bill (although perhaps not on quite so large a scale) my question would be of great interest so that we can know in the future whether to accept a Minister's rejection of amendments at a late stage as being impracticable or whether we know that there are modern devices available to them to enable them to do the sort of thing suggested by the noble Lord, Lord Geddes.

Lord Belstead

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, will have noticed from the consultations that were taking place on the Front Bench that we have not brought our word processor with us into this House. I must say although I should like to congratulate my noble friend Lord Geddes on this alteration that he has successfully made to the Bill, I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, will not be correct and that there will not be several occasions in the future when we shall make a hundred or so amendments all at one go to a Bill. May I confirm to my noble friend that he is right in the point he put to me and that the point which he put will be correctly included as Amendment No. 98 in the corrections to which my noble friend Lord Skelmersdale referred.

Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran

My Lords, I hesitate to add another voice from the Liberal Benches in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, on the amendment that he has had accepted. As I come from a small nation, I should like to support what the noble and learned Lord, Lord Elwyn-Jones, said in regard to this matter because I was in Hong Kong in the early summer when these matters were discussed and I was asked to address the Reform Club of Hong Kong with its 25,000 members. When they met on their Annual General Meeting and I was invited to that meeting, I was surprised that there was a dinner party with over 1,000 Cantonese present. I was asked to speak. I followed a number of erudite people; my task was merely to propose a vote of thanks to the chairman and I did not know in what language I should speak. I spoke in Welsh and encouraged a thousand Cantonese to follow me in saying: "Jechid dda"—"Good health" in Welsh—to the chairman. In relation to the association between this area of Hong Kong and our country the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, has made a great contribution.

Lord Drumalbyn

My Lords, may I also add my congratulations to the noble Lord, Lord Geddes, and concur entirely with what has been said because there is no doubt that what I may call his brilliant stroke of genius, his very happy thought, will confirm to all concerned—to all the citizens of these territories—that they are British and bring it far more to their minds and keep it before their minds, which is what we believe they want.

May I also congratulate the Government on not only accepting this but in performing their task—perhaps not without blemish, but very nearly so. I have never seen an Order Paper such as the one we have today. It seems to me that my noble friend Lord Geddes has set the Government 100 lines! It is practically a 100 repetitions of the same correction. The Government have delivered their task on time.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

4.12 p.m.