HC Deb 08 February 1956 vol 548 cc1679-80
The Solicitor-General for Scotland

I beg to move in page 7, line 18, to leave out "or a magistrate."

I think it would be for the convenience of the House, Sir, if, with your permission, we took with this Amendment three other Government Amendments, which deal with the same point.

These are interlinked Amendments which, I am glad to say, again give effect to the reasonable and sensible suggestion which was made by hon. Members opposite during the Committee stage. The position is that the words "justice of the peace" are defined in a curious way in the definition Clause. These words appear only in two Clauses of the Bill, and it was felt that it would be much more satisfactory to have the definition of "justice of the peace" in the two Clauses where those words appear, and this Amendment achieves that object.

Amendment agreed to

The Solicitor-General for Scotland

I beg to move, in page 7, line 28, to leave out "not" and to insert: liable to be so seized. As the Bill stands, doubts arise as to whether food which is merely intended for animal consumption, say, on a farm, might be caught by the Clause. The point was raised in Committee by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Willis). I agree that the words "or not" are much too wide. Accordingly, we propose to delete "not" and substitute "liable to be so seized," so that the only food to be dealt with is that which has been seized or is liable to be seized because it is intended for sale for human consumption.

Mr. E. G. Willis (Edinburgh, East)

When I raised the matter in Committee the hon. and learned Gentleman promised to look into it. I am grateful to him for making this alteration. The Clause will be much more explicit as the result of the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Futher Amendment made: In page 7, line 37, at end insert: (5) In this section any reference to a justice of the peace includes a reference to the sheriff and to a magistrate.—[The Solicitor-General for Scotland.]