§ Lords Amendment No. 15: In page 13, line 3, leave out "fourteen" and insert "twenty-one".
§ Dr. Dickson MabonI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
This Amendment exemplifies two virtues of the present Government: first, their ability to fulfil their promises; and secondly, the incredibly good-natured way in which we have approached the whole Bill. The House will recollect that on Report my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General gave an assurance that although the Government did not quite accept all the arguments put forward by the Opposition in this regard, nevertheless we would consider the question of whether the period should be 14 or 28 days.
It was argued by the Opposition that 28 days would be the best arrangement. The Government, for their part, cited Section 11 of the Rent Act, 1920, as being their defence of the figure of 14 days. It was agreed that we should split the difference, and we are glad that in another place the Government spokesman so moved the Amendment. I suggest that in the circumstances it is a fair proposition. We are fulfilling our promise to the House, on the one hand, and arriving at a reasonable compromise, on the other hand.
§ Question put and agreed to.