§ (1) In this Act "the ironstone district" means the areas set out in the First Schedule to this Act, including any county borough comprised in any such area.
§ (2) The Minister may by order direct that the said First Schedule shall have effect as if there were included therein any other area specified in the order; and any such order may direct that, in relation to the area so specified, this Act shall have effect as if for any reference to the twenty-fifth day of July, nineteen hundred and fifty, the fifteenth day of February, the thirtieth day of June, or the first day of July, nineteen hundred and fifty-one, or the thirty-first day of March, nineteen hundred and fifty-two, or to the commencement of this Act, there were substituted a reference to such later date (whether earlier than the date of the order or not) as may be specified in the order, or 1764 to the coming into operation of the order, as the case may be.
§ (3) An order under this section shall be of no effect unless it is approved by resolution of each House of Parliament.
§ (4) The power to make orders under this section shall be exercisable by statutory instrument, and shall include power to revoke or vary any such order by a subsequent order.—[Mr. Dalton.]
§ Brought up, and read the First time.
§ Mr. DaltonI beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."
This Clause applies to what I said about the ironstone district. Provision is made in order that the area of the ironstone district, as defined in the terms of the Bill, may later on be exceeded if desired. It gives power to the Minister by order, subject to affirmative Resolution in both Houses, to extend the area of the ironstone district, and also enables him to vary a number of dates in the Bill which would be inappropriate if, at a later stage, an extension were made.
§ Mr. Molson (The High Peak)This is a new Clause which the Government are proposing in accordance with the undertaking which they kindly gave as the result of an Amendment moved by myself on behalf of the Opposition in the Standing Committee, and I should like to express our appreciation of the course which the Government have taken. We feel that it will import a certain amount of flexibility into the Bill, enabling it to be modified. Cases may arise in future that may make it necessary for the extension of the beneficial effects of this Bill to other parts of the country.
§ Sir Herbert Williams (Croydon, East)I should be the last person to desire to delay the proceedings, but those hon. Members who did not have the privilege of serving on the Standing Committee find these private arrangements a little mysterious, and I should like to ask the Minister if he could be a little more informative. I take it that the answer is that, if there are new sources of iron ore discovered in this country, this provision is made with the intention of covering those at present unknown sources?
§ Mr. Dalton indicated assent.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Clause read a Second time, and added to the Bill.