HC Deb 21 July 1967 vol 750 cc2671-2

Lords Amendment: No. 1, in page 2, line 13, leave out from first "of" to "and" in line 14 and insert: the West Indies Act 1967".

11.35 a.m.

The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Dick Taverne)

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

This is a drafting Amendment occasioned by the fact that the Bill providing for certain West Indian territories has now received the Royal Assent.

Mr. Antony Buck (Colchester)

This is, in substance, a drafting Amendment, I suppose. This provides the Under-Secretary with a useful opportunity to tell us about the progress relative to reciprocity. The Bill makes provision for us to return to Commonwealth countries people alleged to have committed offences there. The whole basis of the legislation is one of reciprocity. Throughout the earlier stages of the Bill we heard much about what had been enacted in Australia; we heard that Australia was ahead of us in the matter of legislation on this.

The Amendment raises the question of the position of the West Indies territories —Antigua, Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Nevis, and so forth. What proposals does the Under-Secretary know of for these territories to enact reciprocal legislation corresponding to the Bill? If the Under-Secretary is in order in doing so, I ask him to tell us about other Acts which may be passing through other Commonwealth chambers at the moment.

Mr. Taverne

I do not see that this arises. All that is happening is that, instead of the words within the meaning of any Act of the present Session relating to the West Indies the Bill is being amended to read: within the meaning of the West Indies Act, 1967 ". This is all that is at stake.

I cannÓt tell the hon. Gentleman exactly what legislation is going through in the West Indies. I would have made inquiries about this if it had been relevant to any Amendment which is to be before the House.

Question put and agreed to.