Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSasked whether the Government will publish drafts of the most important of the twenty-nine sets of regulations, or at least of the regulations containing penalties for 710 breach of provisions in the Bill or in the regulations provided for in the Bill, before the consideration of the National Insurance Bill in Committee?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe suggestion, I fear, is impracticable. The regulations cannot be prepared until the powers are settled in Committee. Even if feasible it would not be desirable, as we hope to consult an advisory Committee representing all interests on framing these regulations.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSWhat is the use of the House of Commons considering Clauses in Committee if officials may make regulations which override the Clauses?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThe hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that officials cannot frame any regulations which override Acts of Parliament, and he also must know, as a member of the more important branch of the legal profession, that in every Act of Parliament, certainly which has been passed in the last ten or fifteen years, there have always been provisions of this kind for framing regulations. The one he has in his mind is taken bodily out of an Act of Parliament passed by the late Government in reference to local government, and it was common form in almost every Act.
§ Viscount WOLMERWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the possibility of having some of those regulations published between the Committee stage and the Third Reading of the Bill?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThat is what I was pointing out. It would be useless to frame the regulations until you have set up an advisory committee to help the Government. For instance, upon this advisory committee we hope for representatives of the legal profession. I should have thought it very inadvisable to frame regulations before ever consulting the members of the medical profession, who will be sitting on the Committee.
Mr. WORTHINGTON-EVANSWill Clause 57 be at least modified so that regulations cannot override Acts of Parliament?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am quite willing to reconsider that Clause. It is a common form Clause which has been in Acts of Parliament for some time, but I think it is rather a strong Clause, and I should not be at all sorry to set the precedent of a modified Clause of that kind, but at 711 present we are faithfully adhering to the principle which has been laid down by previous Acts.