HC Deb 30 July 1935 vol 304 cc2610-1

Lords Amendment: In page 326, line 11, after the second "time," insert "in whole or in part."

9.47 p.m.

Mr. BUTLER

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

This Amendment and those which follow are all Amendments to the Sixth or Franchise Schedule, which was added to the Bill in the Committee. They are all of the same type and character and fall under three heads. Apart from two matters of local detail in Oudh and Berar, the following are the only points touched on in these Amendments: The first is the removal of the necessity for application in those areas and parts of Provinces in India where a woman had to apply for inclusion in an electoral roll by virtue of her husband's qualification, after the first election. During the passage of the Bill through this House, my right hon. Friend said that he would do his best to see that Amendments were moved to another place to achieve this result, which appeared to be very much desired by the women in India and those interested in getting as large a number of women on the electoral roll as possible. The effect of these Amendments is that after three years the Governments concerned shall include these women on the rolls themselves. I think my hon. Friend the Member for Bodmin (Mr. I. Foot) and other hon. Members will probably agree that that is a very satisfactory change. The two next Amendments—in page 328, line 13, at the end, to insert: and a reference to an officer, non-commissioned officer or soldier of the Auxiliary Force (India) or the Indian Territorial Force, not being an officer, none-commissioned officer or soldier who has been dismissed or discharged from the force for discipilnary reasons, or has served in the force for less than four years. and in page 330, line 30, after "Act," to insert "1908"—deal with omissions which must be made in connection with the franchise qualifications of the police. These are not in order to remove the franchise from the police, but because we have decided to make the Amendments on page 328 which will govern the inclusion of the police and their wives in the franchise without having to make an insertion under each individual Province. These Amendments are really drafting. A drafting change is also made in several cases in connection with the electoral rolls in order to explain what the words "preparation of the electoral rolls" mean and to enable rolls to be corrected in part and not necessarily as a whole.

Subsequent Lords Amendments to page 330, line 30, agreed to.

Lords Amendment: In page 332, line 1, leave out from "forces" to the end of line 3.

Mr. BUTLER

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

I shall be obliged to ask the House to accept a consequential Amendment to the Bill if it agrees to this Amendment.

Mr. BUTLER

I beg to move, in page 341, to leave out lines 3 and 4.

This is a printing mistake in the Bill, and this is therefore a drafting Amendment only.

Amendment agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments to page 376, line 24, agreed to.