HC Deb 16 October 1952 vol 505 cc499-501

9.15 p.m.

Mr. Woodburn

I beg to move, in page 7, line 16, to leave out from "be," to "exercisable."

The purpose of the Amendment is to ask the meaning of: … deemed always to have been, exercisable … Does it mean that this requirement was omitted from an earlier Act? I move the Amendment to find out why the words were inserted.

Commander Galbraith

The right hon. Gentleman the Member for East Stirling (Mr. Woodburn) is correct in what he has suggested. The object of inserting the words is to correct omissions made in previous legislation. During the passage of the 1946 Act, a question was raised in relation to the same words by an hon. Member who now sits on this side of the Committee, and the then Secretary of State explained, just as I am now explaining, that it was merely the normal course for bringing old legislation with omissions into line with the procedure which now operates.

Mr. Woodburn

In view of that explanation, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Mr. McNeil

I beg to move, in page 7, line 21, at the end, to add: (3) Any Statutory Instrument made in the exercise of the foregoing powers shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of resolution of either House of Parliament. The purpose of the Amendment is plain and I need not bore the Committee. I want to be told, first, why the Government have chosen to do this by means of a Statutory Instrument, and then I want much more to be assured that, since there are apparently extensive subjects which can be affected by Statutory Instruments, such as, I imagine, standards, the Government will agree to find a form of words which will give the House of Commons some control. To prove my reasonableness, I do not even ask for an affirmation; I merely ask that, if the Government are persuaded that they must proceed by means of a Statutory Instrument, a form of words will be found to enable us to pray against regulations dealing with important subjects.

Commander Galbraith

The purpose of the Clause is to bring the provisions of the Statutory Instruments Act into operation in relation to certain matters which it has previously been decided need not be subject to the annulment procedure, and to enable them to be published. If we bring them within that scope, publication takes place automatically. The whole purpose is to enable the regulations to be better known than they are now. The House has already agreed that regulations of this kind need not be laid and that the annulment procedure need not apply.

Mr. Woodburn

May I take it that the Conservative Party have completely reversed the attitude they held when they were in opposition? In those days they insisted that everything must be submitted to the House for annulment and pressed us on all occasions that the House of Commons should keep control over all these Instruments.

Commander Galbraith

The House has agreed that that is not necessary. All we want to do is to be able to publish the regulations.

Amendment negatived.

Clause ordered to stand part of the Bill.