HC Deb 21 March 1955 vol 538 cc1825-6
Mr. Ward

I beg to move, in page 84, line 1, to leave out from "power" to the end of the line and insert: to make an order under this section. The purpose of the Amendment is to cure a rather subtle flaw in the drafting of subsection (5), which deals with orders made by the Air Council for the maintenance of children after they reach the age of 16. Subsection (4) was intended to give power to vary an order made under the Clause, including power to vary an order under subsection (5). It was, therefore, unnecessary and confusing to open the subsection with the expression: The power under this Section to make or vary … Indeed, the expression lets in an argument that under subsection (5, c), for example, an order may be continued but not varied in amount. As there was some doubt about this matter during the discussion of the Army Bill, perhaps I should make the position clear by saying that an hon. Member opposite who suggested that there was another way of dealing with the matter was right to the extent that if one wanted to be long-winded enough one could amend it, rather clumsily, by adding the words "vary or revoke," but those words would have to be added in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) as well; or the phrase "to continue" would not make it clear that the amount could be varied as well as revoked or continued.

Amendment agreed to.