HC Deb 26 February 1957 vol 565 cc1048-9

3.42 p.m.

The Chairman

The first Amendment on the Notice Paper has been selected and it may be for the convenience of the Committee to discuss with it the four following Amendments and the second in page 657. Mr. Silverman—Mr. Robinson—Mr. Hale—Sir Leslie Plummer—Mr. Paget.

The Attorney-General (Sir Reginald Manningham-Buller)

I beg to move, in page 2, line 16, after "Ireland", to insert "Her Majesty's Foreign Service".

This is a drafting Amendment. Its purpose is to make it clear that members of the Foreign Service are to be treated as civil servants of the Crown for the purpose of the general disqualification of civil servants under Clause 1 (1, b) of the Bill.

Amendment agreed to.

Sir Patrick Spens (Kensington, South)

I beg to move, in page 2, line 22, to leave out from first "a" to end of line 24 and to insert "full-time constable".

It was intended by the Select Committee which considered the Bill to exclude all part-time special constables. Unfortunately, we did not know what was the right Act to which to refer for Scottish special constables, so, while we have allowed English special constables to stand for the House of Commons, we have, in fact, disqualified Scottish special constables. The Amendment is to put that mistake right.

Amendment agreed to.

The Attorney-General

I beg to move, in page 2, line 26, after "by" to insert: section two hundred and twenty-five of". It may be for the convenience of the Committee if, with this Amendment, we discuss the following Amendment.

These are drafting Amendments, the purpose of which is to make it clear that the Regular Forces to be disqualified by Clause 1 (1, c) are those defined generally in the interpretation Sections of the Army Act and the Air Force Act. It is not intended to disqualify members of the forces who are treated for particular purposes of those Acts as if they were members of the Regular Army, or Regular Air Force. Section 211 of the Army Act, for instance, provides for members of the reserve and auxiliary forces to be treated as members of the Regular Forces when called out, or recalled for whole-time duty.

Amendment agreed to.

Further Amendment made: In page 2, line 27, after "by", insert: section two hundred and twenty-three of".—[The Attorney-General.]

Clause as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.