§ Not amended (in the Standing Committee), considered.
§ Order for Third Reading read.
§ 3.20 p.m.
§ Mr. Malcolm MacPherson (Stirling and Falkirk Burghs)I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
This Bill received its Second Reading without any discussion, and its consideration in Standing Committee lasted only about 35 minutes. It may, therefore, be supposed that I ought to take the opportunity of explaining the Bill now. I do not propose to do that. It is not out of discourtesy to the House, as I hope will be clear, but because I think that the Bill is self-explanatory. I do not think that anyone who reads the Bill needs any expounding from me of its provisions.
I would, however, just like to take a couple of minutes, probably less, to say how grateful I am to a number of people who have been associated in the passage of the Bill to this stage. When the Bill first saw the light of day that eminent non-Parliamentary figure the Lord Advocate wrote to me offering his assistance, and that assistance has been 1765 given by his Department fully and freely. I am grateful for that. I am grateful also for the benevolence of the Scottish Office, and particularly I would like to say how much I appreciate its efforts in connection with the setting up of the second, the special, new Scottish Standing Committee thus enabling this Bill and another Bill to get through Committee more certainly and quickly than might otherwise have been expected. I am also grateful to those who have been associated with me in the sponsorship of the Bill and those who sacrificed a morning to take part in the Committee on the Bill.
§ 3.22 p.m.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Gilmour Leburn)In a word, I should just like to make it clear to the House that the Government welcome the Bill. In doing so, I would convey to the hon. Gentleman the Member for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs (Mr. Malcolm MacPherson) my very warm congratulations on his good fortune in having found a place in the Ballot which enabled him to introduce the Bill, and I would thank him for the time and trouble he has spent upon it.
The hon. Gentleman has put in a tremendous amount of work on the Bill, not only in Committee, but beforehand, in the preparation of it, and I should like not only to offer him the Government's congratulations, but also the thanks of the Government for all he has done.
§ 3.23 p.m.
§ Dr. Alan Glyn (Clapham)I, too, would like to congratulate the hon. Member for Stirling and Falkirk Burghs (Mr. Malcolm MacPherson). Although I know very little about Scotland I think that this is one of the clearest expositions I have ever had the privilege of coming across. As far as I can see, it brings up Scottish jurisdiction to modern conditions, and I warmly commend the hon. Member on it.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.