CLAUSE 8.—(Powers of whale fishery inspectors.) (Hansard, 24 July 1934)

§ The CHAIRMAN
Before calling this Clause, I think I should point out to the Committee that it imposes a charge which 1745 is not covered by a Ways and Means Resolution. It is provided that: Any whale fishery inspector specially authorised in writing in that behalf by the Board of Trade may go on board any British ship to which this Act applies which is used for treating whales, and shall, during such period as may be specified in his authority, be entitled to remain on board the ship, to be provided with subsistence and accommodation therein and to be present at all operations in connection with the treating of whales on board the ship. I brought the matter to the notice of the Government, through the Board of Trade, and I was informed that it was intended that this billeting, if I may use the term, should be paid for, but there is no provision to that effect in the Clause or elsewhere in the Bill at the present time, and therefore the Clause as set down is not in order. It will be observed that there is on the Order Paper an Amendment in the name of the right hon. Gentleman the Minister of Agriculture which would put it right, by bringing the Clause within the Resolution, and there are precedents for amending such a Clause in Committee so as to bring it within the terms of a Resolution. I propose, therefore, to call the Clause in order that it may be so amended, but I must point out that unless it is so amended, I shall be unable to put the Question that the Clause stand part.

§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for SCOTLAND.(Mr. Skelton)
I beg to move, in page 7, line 5, at the end, to insert: A whale fishery inspector shall, in respect of each day during which he is provided in pursuance of this Sub-section with subsistence and accommodation on board a ship, pay to the master of the ship such sum as may be prescribed by regulations made by the licensing authority with the approval of the Treasury. As you, Sir Dennis, have pointed out, the Amendment is necessary to make the Clause in order. Its object is to ensure that in the case of inspectors who by the Bill will be placed on ships and, in your own words, have to be billeted by the master of the ship, there shall be remuneration for the billeting. It will, in fact, be paid to the inspectors by the licensing authority or by the Department by whom they are employed. On the question of Order, I do not think I need say anything more on behalf of the Government than that it will make in 1746 order a, Clause which, without it, would not be in order.

§ Sir S. CRIPPS
It would be very unbusinesslike to object to this because it has to be done in order to get the Bill through. The only thing it seems to me to show is that the Parliamentary draftsmen's office is being overworked, and a little strengthening of it might be worth considering.