§ The Board of Trade may make rules (subject in respect of fees to the approval of the Treasury), for prescribing anything which, under this Act, is to be prescribed, and generally for carrying this Act into effect.
Sir A. STANLEYI beg to move, at the end of the Clause, to add the words,
"And such rules may provide for excluding from dealings by way of 347 wholesale trade within the meaning of this Act dealings in quantities below such limits as may be prescribed generally or as respects any particular metal or metallic ore."
I promised yesterday that I would move some such Amendment as this to-day. This is to give the Board of Trade power under their rules to define the limits within which wholesale trading shall fall. I think this is really a better way of dealing with it. We could not fix a weight and apply it to all metals. The weight must vary according to the metals which are being dealt with. We propose to deal with it in this form. It will be remembered that I also promised yesterday to give consideration, and to see if it would be possible at this stage to make a statement indicating the form in which these rules should be set up. I am sorry we are not able to do that now, but, if possible, before we reach the Report stage, I will try to do it, so that hon. Members may have some indication as to how these rules will be framed.
§ Mr. BRUNNERHas the right hon. Gentleman considered the question of marine store dealers who are now licensed to deal in metals? Will they be obliged to take out a fresh licence under this Act?
§ Mr, J. HENDERSONI would suggest that the word "shall" should be substituted for the word "may," so that it would be mandatory.
§ Mr. HENDERSONI beg to move, as an Amendment to the proposed Amendment, to leave out the word "may" ["such rules may"], and to insert instead thereof the word "shall."
Amendment to the proposed Amendment agreed to
§ Mr. WARDLEWith respect to the point raised by the hon. Member (Mr. Brunner), an Amendment will be moved later, on behalf of the Board of Trade, which will put the marine store dealers outside the Bill.
§ Mr. BRUNNERI do not know whether my question has been quite understood. Marine store dealers have to be licensed now. They cannot deal in metals of more than a certain weight at a time, and it 348 ought to be considered by the Board of Trade whether the marine store dealer is to be licensed again under this Bill.
§ Mr, WARDLEThat is the point which I was trying to explain. It has been considered, and we are. under the impression that the Amendment which is to be moved will have the effect of leaving out the marine store dealers, so that they will not need to take out any further licence, under this Bill.
Amendment, as amended, agreed to.
§ Mr. HEMMERDEI beg to move, at the end of the Clause, to insert the words,
"and any regulations so made shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament as soon as may be after they are made, and if either House within the next forty days after such regulations have been laid before that House resolve that such regulations ought to be annulled they shall be of no effect without prejudice to the making of any new regulations."
§ Mr. HEMMERDEI understand that the Government will accept my proposal in. the form of the, Amendment which stands in the name of the hon. and gallant Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Commander Wedgwood). Therefore I beg to move that Amendment, at the end of the Clause, to insert the words,
"Provided that all such rules shall be laid before each House of Parliament as soon as may be after they are made, and if an address is presented to His Majesty by either House of Parliament within the next forty days on which that House has sat next after any such rule is laid before it, praying that the rule may be annulled, His Majesty in Council may, if it seems fit, annul the rule, and it shall thenceforth he void."
Amendment agreed to.
Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.