HC Deb 04 January 1916 vol 77 cc834-5

In Sub-section (3) of Section five of the principal Act, after the words "if he thinks fit, allow," there shall be inserted the words "or require"; and in paragraph nine of the Second Schedule to the principal Act, for the word "fourth," there shall be substituted the word third."—[Mr. Lloyd George.]

Clause brought up, and read the first time.

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause be read a second time."—[Mr. Lloyd George.]

Mr. KING

This is admittedly an Act which in small details of drafting and in many ways permits of amendment. I have suggested a number of small points, and I hope that some of them may be accepted. All my Amendments are drawn with the object of making the original Act and the Amending Act more clear and more workable. They are not put forward in any spirit of obstruction or with any object of restricting the right hon. Gentleman's operations, but with the sole object of making the Bill clear and effective.

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause read a second time.

Mr. KING

I beg to move, at the Clause, to insert beginning of words,

"In Section three of the principal Act there shall be added after the words 'affecting employment on, in both places where those words occur, the words 'or in connection with.'"

Section 3 of the principal Act begins,

"The differences to which this Part of the Act applies are differences as to rate of wages, hours of labourer otherwise as to terms or conditions of or affecting employment on."

The words I want to add are "or in connection with," in order that there can be no question what exactly "employment on" means. I want to give the Minister of Munitions a clear field for his operations, Without his being obliged to prove that it is "employment on" when the point may be raised that it is only "in connection with," or in a secondary or subsidiary connection. I hope that this Amendment will be accepted. It is quite a point of substance which possibly has been taken and which very likely may be taken.

Mr. HOGGE

I beg to second the Amendment.

Sir G. CAVE

The hon. Member has obviously studied with great care the wording of the principal Act, and has drawn up a number of Amendments dealing with various points. But he will understand that if one introduces into a later Act a number of small Amendments to an earlier Act it is calculated to lead to complications, and will necessarily require the two Acts to be read together. He is, therefore, quite right in saying that one must draw the line somewhere. I want to meet him, if I can, and I will therefore accept this Amendment, but I hope he will not press the other one.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. KING

After what the Solicitor-General has said, I will not press my other Amendments.

Question, "That the Clause, as amended, be added to the Bill," put, and agreed to.