§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."—[Mr. A. M. Samuel.]
§ Mr. A. V. ALEXANDERWe know that this is a Consolidation Bill, but we should like to have some little explanation of it.
Mr. SAMUELThis Bill is a Consolidation Bill dealing with the Government annuities issued by the National Debt Commissioners and the Post Office Savings Bank and with Government Life Insurance. Some of the Statutes dealing with this matter date back as far as 1829, and are very complicated and difficult to understand. 1919 This Bill consolidates no fewer than 20 Acts, and it also has the effect of making the law more easily understood by the public. I can assure the House that no change whatever has been made in the law. I am given to understand that the Bill has been before the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills of both Houses, and the Report of that Committee has been laid before Parliament in House of Commons Paper No. 71, of which I have a copy here, in case any hon. Member would like to look at it. The Joint Committee state that, subject to certain very minor points to which they draw attention, the Bill in its present form represents the existing statutory law with respect to Government annuities, that is to say, that no change has been made in the law.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill read a Second time.
§ Resolved, "That this House will immediately resolve itself into the Committee on the Bill."—[Mr. A. M. Samuel.]
§ Bill accordingly considered in Committee.
§ [Mr. JAMES HOPE in the Chair.]
§ Clauses 1 to 36, inclusive, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
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cc1919-22
- CLAUSE 37.—(Power to grant savings bank annuities and insurances.) 639 words c1922
- ADJOURNMENT. 17 words