HC Deb 27 July 1933 vol 280 cc2944-6

Lords Amendment: In page 1, line 23, at end insert: Provided that the landing of sea-fish taken by a British fishing-boat registered in the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands shall not be exempt from the operation of an order under this section unless both the master and the second hand are British subjects.

Major ELLIOT

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

11.50 p.m.

Mr. C. WILLIAMS

I should like to say a. word on this Amendment, because I have already raised the matter at an earlier stage. While I cannot thank the Minister for the Amendment, I congratulate him on having obtained absolution in another place for a very bad inaccuracy. He assured us in Committee upstairs and elsewhere that the skipper and mate would have to be British and that that would apply to the Channel Islands boats and to the case of any other boat. That led the Committee to give him the original Amendment. He repeated this assurance in rather different words, and another Minister, whom we can leave out because he has escaped through the meshes of the Whips' net, also gave a similar assurance that Channel Islands boats would have to have British skippers. Now it is discovered that that was not accurate. I said quite clearly that all along I believed there was an inaccuracy with regard to the Channel Islands. After some of the extremely harsh things said to me because I raised this point, it is only right to say that I have been proved to be right. I hope the Minister, in return, will be more careful and see that my other fears are not equally right. I do believe that the Minister has tried to do his best in this respect, but at the same time, after the attacks made upon me, I am justified in pointing out that this is realy only creating a security as to assurances which he gave the Committee upstairs.

11.52 p.m.

Major ELLIOT

I have not the foibles of the hon. Member who has just spoken, but the object of having two Houses is to see that Bills are fully examined in every respect. I make no apology whatever, because in this, as in other cases under the Constitution, it has been found useful to have a Second Chamber. The point is one which it is a good thing to put right, for the information which I had at the time was wrong, and I certainly do apologise to the House for that. I make no apology for not being right in every piece of legislation brought before the House, because otherwise there would be no need for the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams) and all that would be necessary would be a set of rubber stamps--to which so far neither this House nor another place has been reduced.

Question put, and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments to page 6, line 11, agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 9, after Clause 5, insert