POOR LAW (SCOTLAND) BILL. (Hansard, 5 July 1934)

§ Mr. SPEAKER
There are two Motions for the recommital of the Bill on the Order Paper. They both agree, not upon the same subject, but upon the same sort of subject, and I think it would be convenient if one Motion were made of them. I understand that the Movers, the hon. Members for Govan (Mr. Maclean) and Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan) are agreeable, and, if that be so, I shall put them as one Motion.

§ Mr. NEIL MACLEAN
I beg to move, That the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the whole House in respect of the Amendments in Clause 11, page 6, line 29, standing on the Notice Paper in the names of Mr. Neil Maclean, Mr. Duncan Graham, Mr. Leonard, and Mr. Kirkwood, and in respect of the Amendment in Clause 11, page 6, line 22, standing on the Notice Paper in the names of Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Maxton, and Mr. McGovern. The procedure of the House is, I understand, that only one Motion may be made at a time. With the permission of the hon. Member for Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan), and, in view of the fact that the Motion which he proposed to raise contained very largely the same point as in the Motion for recommittal on the Order Paper in my name, I can conveniently move both Motions as one. When the Bill was in the Scottish Standing; Committee we put down these Amendments in order that the matters mentioned in them might be included in the Bill in common with other disregards. The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland was good enough to say that he thought there was some point in them and that further consideration would be given to them, and he would endeavour upon the Report stage to give us information as to whether any of the Amendments could be accepted. Evidently it is impossible for technical reasons for those matters to be discussed upon the Report stage, inasmuch as they would entail a charge, and it has therefore been necessary for us to put down the Motion asking for the recommittal of the Bill in order that we may have an expression 2088 from the Scottish Office as to whether they have given consideration to the points, as they promised to do when the Bill was in the Scottish Grand Committee.

§ Mr. BUCHANAN
Allow me to thank you personally, Sir, for conveying to us your views on this matter, which I readily accept. I associate myself with the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Maclean). I trust that the Government will accept the principle that the Bill should be recommitted in order that they may indicate which of the proposals they are now prepared to accept.

§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND (Mr. Skelton)
I propose to accept the Motion for recommittal, and I am obliged for the manner in which it has been moved, because undoubtedly it facilitates business. Reconsideration of the four topics dealt with in the Amendments has shown me that there is only one of the Amendments, namely, the first, which I am able to accept. In accepting the Motion for recommittal, I gather that I do not imply that I accept all the Amendments.