Clause 32.—(INTERPRETATION OF CHAPTER II.) (Hansard, 16 May 1963)

§ Mr. Mitchison
Again, I want to ask only a short and simple question. What 1675 is the sinister meaning of the last two lines of the page, which run like this: assignment', in relation to Scotland, means an assignation"?

§ The Solicitor-General
Although not a Scottish lawyer, I think there is nothing sinister in an assignation. Subsection (1) simply makes two Scottish adaptations. It defines "lease", "premium" and "unit of assessment". This last is an expression used in the transitional provisions for 1963–64 in Clauses 20 and 21. It applies the definition of "connected person" contained in paragraph 20 of the Ninth Schedule.
As to the two lines about which the hon. and learned Member has asked me, I will have to write to him when I have had advice from the Lord Advocate and I will be able to tell him exactly what that means.

§ Mr. Mitchison
I trust that these adaptations will not be too promiscuous.

§ Mr. Warbey
I rise to speak on the Clause only to call attention to the fact, which is indicated by the rubric, that this is the end of a Chapter. It is the end of Chapter II of Part II of the Bill. I should have thought that this would be a convenient moment at which the Government would be able to indicate to the Committee their intention with regard to the—

§ The Chairman
Order. The hon. Member is taking upon himself to move to report Progress. I am accepting no such Motion.

§ Mr. Warbey
If I am not allowed briefly to make the point I sought to make, Sir William, I give notice that if after the passing of the Clause the Government do not move to report Progress, I shall ask your leave to move a Motion to that effect.

§ The Chairman
The hon. Member should confine his remarks to dealing with the Clause.

§ Mr. Houghton
I beg to move, That the Chairman do report Progress and ask leave to sit again. 1676 I move this Motion in order to inquire from the Chief Secretary his desires regarding further progress of the Bill tonight. As my hon. Friend has just said, we have reached the end of Chapter II. Chapter III opens up an important new field of debate. It would be a good thing if the Committee could come fresh to it on another day.
We have made very good progress, although, to be quite fair, I might say that earlier on in the evening, when it looked as if we might reach the end of Chapter II rather earlier, I said that my right hon. and hon. Friends would be prepared to move into Chapter But it is now twenty minutes past ten. Many of us were here until One o'clock this morning on this Bill, and I am sure that the Chief Secretary and the Patronage Secretary will realise that three days on the Finance Bill is a pretty hard stint, especially for those of us who have had to sit it through. I make no reflection on anyone who has not sat it through, but for those who have it is more arduous still.
So the right hon. Gentleman may feel that this is a suitable moment at which to leave the Bill until next Tuesday. That would meet our wishes. Perhaps he would consider it. I think we are all feeling a little jaded. Investment allowances are an important matter and may begin a rather long debate on the central economic feature of the Bill.
We have got along in a spirit of co-operation so far. We were all put out yesterday in our programme by the intervention of the Adjournment debate. We not only came back at Ten o'clock but made very good progress until One o'clock, many of us tearing up most eloquent speeches on various Amendments. We even restrained my hon. Friends from going through the Lobby four time in succession. We confined them to two divisions in succession. They all went away full of frustration and discontent. But that is the sort of thing we have to put up with. I ask the right hon. Gentleman now not to make my job—and after all I share with him a responsibility to a greater power—any more difficult than it is.

§ Mr. Boyd-Carpenter
The last words of the hon. Gentleman have touched 1677 me to the heart. The idea of making his task more difficult than the weakness of the case he so often has to advocate inevitably makes this Motion so appealing that all I can do is advise the Committee that, in the circumstances, we should accept it.