HC Deb 17 July 1931 vol 255 cc1004-5
Mr. TURTON

I beg to move, in page 10, line 15, to leave out the words "without the authority of the Minister".

These words were inserted as a result of words being altered during the Committee stage, when the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams), who, I regret, is not here this afternoon, pointed out to the Minister that the Bill contained a most dangerous form of words. The Minister defended his form of words at first and said that it was a double- barrelled safeguard. The hon. Member for Torquay pressed him still further, and as a result we have put down this Amendment. I think the House will regard the Minister's words, "a double-barrelled safeguard", with some degree of suspicion. The effect of these words is that a forger and the Minister, hand in hand, may, under the sign of "The Scrub Bull," hold up the public and extract from them and from each other whatever is to be made out of a fraudulent practice. I move to delete these words in order to make this Clause more workable, and in case we should have at some future date a dishonest Minister. I do not believe the present Minister would be guilty, in company with a forger, of trying to hold up the public, but we never know. Ministers change, even in the Government opposite, and we may have a Minister who would, in company with a forger, authorise this, defrauding of the public.

Captain DUGDALE

I beg to second the Amendment.

Dr. ADDISON

While I do not think I could accept the form in which the hon. Member has presented this Amendment, I do not quarrel with the substance, and I thank the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams), who is not here, and the hon. Member who has moved the Amendment, for having discovered a mistake in the wording of the Bill, the effect of which would be as the hon. Member has described. In order to protect my successors, I will accept the Amendment.

Earl WINTERTON

In justice to my hon. Friend the Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams), I must say that this illustrates the great value to this House of any Member who takes such a meticulous interest in his duties as does the hon. Member for Torquay though the Press and other ignorant people outside criticise Members like him and Lord Ban bury of Southam, who, in my opinion, have done far more good in this House than those who try to rush legislation through.

Amendment agreed to.