HC Deb 10 July 1946 vol 425 cc434-5

Lords Amendment: In page 30, line 32, at end, insert: (3) Subsection (6) of the last preceding section shall have effect in relation to the tribunal to be established for the purposes of this section.

Mr. Shinwell

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

This Amendment is really consequential on what has gone before.

Captain Crookshank

It is not so much consequential as an example of what my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromley (Mr. Macmillan) has just said. At the last moment, it was realised that, in regard to the tribunal under this Clause, which is not necessarily the same as the tribunal under the new Clause which has just been inserted, no provision was made for fees, expenses, or anything else. At the last moment, having produced those provisions for the other tribunal, there has to be this reference bringing them forward for the purposes of the tribunal under Clause 24. It is not a consequential Amendment, but another case of forgetfulness.

Mr. Charles Williams (Torquay)

The Minister says that the Amendment is consequential, and my right hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Gainsborough (Captain Crookshank) says it is not consequential. Surely, in a dispute of this sort, it ought not to be very difficult to find out whether or not it is consequential. In listening to the Minister, it has struck me that he has endeavoured in every way to help us to understand the Bill. Can he tell us precisely upon what this Amendment is consequential? I do not doubt his word or the word of my right hon. and gallant Friend, but when we have these two great authorities on the Bill differing, I think we are entitled to have from the Minister a brief explanation upon what the Amendment is consequential, I see that the right hon. Gentleman is smiling at me in a kindly way, so I hope he will give us that explanation. It is not fair to the House to get up and say that the Amendment is consequential, simply because the right hon. Gentleman does not happen to know upon what it is consequential. I think that very likely he does know, but I would like to know as well.

Mr. Shinwell

With the leave of the House, I beg the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams) not to follow me, but to follow his own leader, who says this is a matter of forgetfulness. I said it was consequential. I suggest that the hon. Member follow his own leader, and that we leave the matter at that.