HC Deb 25 July 1946 vol 426 cc346-7

Lords Amendment: In page 5, line 15, leave out "loss of personableness," and insert "disfigurement."

Mr. J. Griffiths

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

This word "personableness" gave rise to a good deal of discussion during the earlier stages of this Bill, and in another place the Lord Chancellor said that he thought the word "disfigurement" was much better. It is a usual word, and the other is an unusual word. I can give a complete assurance that the new word is not in any way narrower. The Lord Chancellor, with his wide experience and great legal knowledge, thought that the expression "disfigurement" was better all round, and we, therefore, wish to incorporate it in the Bill.

Mr. Peake

The word proposed in another place is certainly a great improvement upon the phrase originally used in the Bill. The original phrase was "loss of personableness" and I think that we can all agree that those words were a grave disfigurement of the Bill.

Mr. Griffiths

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will not mind my saying that he was a party to putting it in the Bill first of all.

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