HC Deb 23 July 1958 vol 592 cc605-6

Postponed Lords Amendment in the Title: In line 1 leave out from beginning to "and" in line 2 and insert: amend Part VIII of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, and section two of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and others) Act, 1900.

Mr. Neave

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

This alteration is necessary in view of the extensive Amendments made to the Bill.

Mr. Anthony Greenwood

Before we leave this Amendment, I should like to express our thanks to the Government and to the House for the radical Amendments which have been made. Of course, we have some reservations about the principle of limitation, but we very much welcome the increase in the permitted amounts under the Bill.

That point of view is shared by the unions particularly concerned, the National Union of Seamen, the Transport and General Workers Union, and others. On their behalf and on behalf of the Opposition, I should like to congratulate the hon. Member for Antrim, South (Mr. Knox Cunningham) on the success of his efforts and to thank the Government for the way they have been prepared to help in amending the Measure and making it much better than it would otherwise have been.

Question put and agreed to.