HC Deb 30 November 1948 vol 458 cc1930-1
Mr. Grimston

I beg to move, in page 18, line 23, to leave out from "person," to "post," and to insert shall be served by registered. The object of this Amendment is that notice shall have to be served by registered post. This provision appears in most Acts where a notice has to be served by post. It is a visual safeguard to the addressee, and I do not think it is necessary for me to elaborate the point. I hope the Postmaster-General will accept it.

The Attorney-General

I must confess that we do not like this Amendment.

It would prevent any notice from being served personally, or being left at any premises by the giver of the notice without the intervention of the post, except where there was some express condition elsewhere in the Bill permitting that to be done. Moreover, it would, I think. sometimes operate against the ordinary members of the public who wanted to serve the notice, by compelling them to serve it by registered post, rather than by leaving them free to serve it in that way if that was the mode of service they chose. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to press this aspect of the matter, we would certainly consider it on the Report stage, while leaving it possible to serve notices in other ways than by post, that is, by serving them direct on the person or premises. If it is thought that where a notice is served by post there should be an express provision in the Statute saying that it must be served by registered post, we will give consideration to that on Report, if the hon. Member will withdraw this Amendment.

Mr. Grimston

That really meets our point. As the Attorney-General has undertaken that between now and the Report stage he will consider inserting words to the effect that where the post is used, it shall be by registered post, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 19 ordered to stand part of the Bill.