§ 55. Sir ARTHUR STEEL-MAITLANDasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will cause an explanatory White Paper to be issued giving in full the Sections of previous Acts of Parliament, and rules made under previous Acts, which are referred to in the Finance Bill; and an explanatory statement in each case showing the effect of any change which it is proposed to make?
§ 58. Mr. A. M. SAMUELasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will issue for use at the Committee stage of the Finance Bill a White Paper set up in parallel columns giving the explanation in plain language of each paragraph of Clauses 29, 30, 31, and 32 of the Finance Bill?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENI will do my best to meet the desire that prompted these 994 questions, but time is short. I fear I cannot give the right hon. Gentleman just what he asks for; indeed I think that in some ways it would make for complication rather than elucidation. I will issue an explanation of the Clauses mentioned by the hon. Member for Farnham (Mr. A. M. Samuel), and, if any hon. Members intimate to me that they find any other Clauses specially difficult, I will consider including an explanation of them also, provided that the intimation is given at once.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDCan we not have a print of the actual Sections to which reference is made, seeing that it will be much easier to construe them if we have them on paper than if we have to search for them in a number of Acts of Parliament?
§ Mr. SNOWDENI will consider that matter, although, as I have said in reply to the question, I am afraid it would not lead to elucidation.
§ Mr. SAMUELSince the Clauses referred to in my question are the most abstruse Clauses in the whole Bill, does not the right hon. Gentleman think it would be wise to print them in plain language and in legal language in parallel columns, so that everyone may understand them, without leaving it to the Judges to explain them?