§ 6. Sir Edward Keelingasked the Attorney-General whether he will make a statement about the work of the Statute Law Committee since his statement of last year.
§ The Attorney-GeneralYes, Sir. With the permission of my hon. Friend, I propose to have a statement circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, since it must run to some length.
§ Sir E. KeelingMay I ask my hon. and learned Friend whether the statement shows any progress is being made in consolidating Acts of Parliament?
§ The Attorney-GeneralI feel some hesitation in expressing any view about it, but I should think that it will be found that quite a satisfactory result is disclosed.
Following is the statement:The Committee's functions concern consolidation and statutory publications. Work on consolidation has proceeded satisfactorily in general, but some of the work has suffered delay in consequence of need to await the passing of amending legislation. Five consolidation Bills have been passed, relating respectively to Customs and Excise, Magistrates Courts, Costs in Criminal Cases, Prisons (England and Wales), and Prisons (Scotland). Two Bills are now before one or other House, relating respectively to the Post Office, and Births 5 and Deaths Registration. Bills to consolidate the enactments relating to the Auxiliary Forces and to the Registration Service are likely to be introduced very shortly. Work is in hand on Bills, which it is hope to introduce during the current Session, to consolidate the enactments relating to Licensing for the sale of Intoxicating Liquors, the Medical Acts, the Solicitors Acts, and the Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Acts.Work is also in hand on other measures which may be completed in time for introduction of Bills during the current Session, but of which I would prefer not to speak with greater certainty in this statement. In the case of one important project, to consolidate the Electricity Supply Acts, a suspension of work has become necessary after much had been done, in view of the need referred to above to await the passing of amending legislation; and the position is similar as to a consolidation of the Supreme Court of Judicature Acts, having regard to prospective large scale amendment of the Rules of the Supreme Court.The work of the Statutory Publications Office has proceeded for the most part in a normal manner not calling for particular comment, but it has been of somewhat exceptional volume in consequence of the numerous alterations entailed by the extensive range of the consolidations mentioned at the beginning of this statement. Some success has attended the efforts continuously made to secure earlier issue of periodical publications. With a view to testing demand for annual publication of the "Guide to Government Orders," experimental publication both in 1952 and in the present year has been arranged. A sub-committee of the Statute Law Committee will review this experiment. and other matters relating to the issue and sale of the Guide and of other publications for which the Committee is responsible.