§ Mr. EdeI beg to move, in page 2, line 33, leave out:
was twenty-one years of age of over when the declaration was made,and insert:has attained or will attain the age of twenty-one years before the first day of January, nineteen hundred and forty-six.This fulfils a pledge that I gave as a result of the discussion in Committee earlier in the week, that we would include in the supplementary register any Service man who made a declaration during the period between 30th June and 31st December, 1945, and who in fact attained 2719 the age of 21 before 1st January, 1946, if he made his declaration and sent it in during the appropriate period. There was a very strong feeling on both sides of the House that this arrangement ought to be made, and I have pleasure in moving the Amendment.
§ Mr. Osbert Peake (Leeds, North)I am obliged to the right hon. Gentleman for putting this Amendment down in a satisfactory form. The original idea came from this side of the Committee and it does rather extend the scope of the supplementary register. We think it is a good Amendment, and it is certainly a good example of how a Bill can be improved by helpful suggestions during the Committee stage.
§ Mr. Charles Williams (Torquay)I also would like to thank the right hon. Gentleman for meeting the feelings of our part on this proposition. I quite agree that there was a certain amount of pressure from all sides of the House, but a very good case was put to him by Members of the Opposition especially, and I hope he will have no trouble from his own benches in regard to this Amendment. As far as I can see, it does something to make it easier to get an additional number of young Servicemen on to the register. I welcome this Amendment and congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on having put it into the Bill.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ Bill reported, with an Amendment; as amended in Committee and on recommittal, considered.