HC Deb 05 November 1943 vol 393 cc1001-2
Mr. H. Morrison

I beg to move, in page 4, line 10, to leave out "thirtieth day of August," and to insert "twenty-ninth day of November."

This Amendment fixes the date of the commencement of the Act. Originally the day fixed was 30th August, in the hope that the Bill might be passed before the last Recess, but that did not prove to be possible, and, therefore, it has become necessary to put in another date. I confess that this date, 29th November, was fixed on the basis that we would have got the Bill through this House last week and through another place this week. Logically, the date ought to be put a little further ahead, but I think we will take the risk of leaving it where it is. It will run things rather tight for the people concerned, including the employers and the insurance people, but we will take the risk so long as it is understood that there may be some delay in catching up with arrears and making actual payments. I hope, therefore, that hon. Members will be kind should that happen. I do not wish to take advantage of the little excitement we had the other day and the delay which was thereby caused. I propose to leave the date as it is with grateful thanks to my right hon. Friend the Under-Secretary, who ably held the fort after I had left the House on that historic occasion.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

The Deputy-Chairman

Does the hon. Member for Oxford (Mr. Hogg) wish to move his new Clause (Provision for post-accident children)?

Mr. Hogg

It is quite clear that this Clause, if moved, must go the way of the Amendment first on the Order Paper today. This Clause, however, is a little more all-embracing, because it was designed to cover the case not only of the natural child but also the adopted child and the stepchild and was also designed to get over the difficulty of the matter being res judicata by reason of prior proceedings in respect of the accident. It is quite clear that if you do not allow compensation to be paid in respect of post-accident children who are born when the parent is injured, you cannot allow it to stepchildren or adopted children either, and in those circumstances I do not think it would be right for me to move this new Clause.