§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this Bill be now read a Second time."—[Mr. R. Adams.]
§ 2.7 p.m.
§ Mr. Manningham-Buller (Daventry)I would like to ask whether this is a consolidation Measure of the old type or a consolidation Measure under the recent Act which involves some slight alterations and Amendments.
2293 So far as I can understand it—and I must confess that I am very ignorant of registered designs—it seems to me to be a good Bill, and I repeat that it is an advantage that one will be able in future to find a very great deal of the law on the subject contained in one Act of Parliament. In case the right hon. and learned Gentleman the Attorney-General, whom I now see in his place, did not hear my question, may I repeat it for his benefit? I would like to know whether this Bill is one of the consolidation Measures under the recent Act; that is to say, consolidation with certain minor variations. If it is, I think our congratulations should go to those responsible for its production, because very little time has elapsed. I think we should give them all the encouragement we can to pursue their very important, though sometimes, I fear, rather uninteresting, labours.
§ The Attorney-Genera! (Sir Hartley Shawcross)I am much obliged to the hon. and learned Gentleman the Member for Daventry (Mr. Manningham-Buller) and I apologise to him for my absence from the House when he commenced his speech.
This is, as the hon. and learned Gentleman anticipated, one of those Bills that might have been brought in under the old procedure. It consolidates 11 Statutes, but they are all comparatively modern ones, and the joint committee did not find any need to make the minor Amendments or improvements which are sometimes necessary in this type of consolidation legislation. Although there are no improvements, I think, as does the hon. and learned Gentleman, that it is very useful to have these Statutes consolidated into a single one.