§
Lords Amendment: No. 50, in line 4, at end, insert:
and to empower constables to arrest persons suspected of driving or attempting to drive while disqualified".
§ 11.45 p.m.
§ Mr. GalbraithI do not think that we discussed it, Mr. Deputy Speaker. We have discussed the substance of it but not the actual Lords Amendment.
Mr. Deputy SpeakerI am afraid that that is not correct. I asked whether it would be for the convenience of the House to take Lords Amendment No. 50 with No. 45. But if the hon. Gentleman really wishes to make a comment on it that would not be out of order.
§ Mr. TaverneI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
§ Mr. GalbraithAll I wanted to do—it will not take a minute—was to comment on the fact that as a result of Amendments moved in another place we have been able to enlarge the Long Title 1236 of the Bill, but in our endeavours here to increase the scope of the Bill to cover further aspects of road safety we were not allowed to do it. I just wonder why in this case the Government were willing to expand the Long Title but refused it in every other case although all we were aiming to do was to increase road safety.
§ Mr. SwinglerThe hon. Gentleman seems to be complaining that the Government paid so much attention to the points raised and the criticisms and suggestions made that they have taken the extraordinary step in another place of incorporating these Amendments. That seems to be a most churlish complaint. We discussed these matters at considerable length in an extremely democratic way in Committee. Although certain hon. Members have finally withdrawn from the positions that they took up at that time, the Government have gone forward on the basis of the progressive proposals that were made and have tabled Amendments to make the Bill as representative of the demands of cross-sections of the community as they can. I should have thought that that would have been welcomed.
§ Question put and agreed to.