HC Deb 25 October 1972 vol 843 cc1270-1

Lords Amendment: No. 383, in page 167, line 30, at end insert: (a) a non-metropolitan county which is not divided into petty sessional divisions".

7.15 p.m.

Mr. Carlisle

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this Amendment we are to consider Lords Amendments Nos. 384–397.

Mr. Carlisle

Although the Amendments look large in number, their purpose is simple. It is merely to deal with the effect on the administration of justice provisions in the Bill of the Government's decision to confer on the Isle of Wight the status of a non-metropolitan county. As a non-metropolitan county, it will now have a separate magistrates' courts committee, but, because of its size, the island will not be divided into petty sessional divisions like other non-metropolitan counties. Therefore, the description of petty session divisional areas where it occurs in the Bill needs to be extended to allow for a non-metropolitan county to be a petty sessions area.

The amendment to these definitions renders unnecessary the specific references in the Bill to the City of London.

This series of Amendments also remedies an omission. Paragraph 1(8)(b) of Schedule 4 to the Justices of the Peace Act, 1949, deals with the constitution of the magistrates court committee in a county divided into petty sessional divisions. Paragraph 14(7) of Schedule 27 substitutes "metropolitan district" for "county", but it is equally important to cover the position of non-metropolitan authorities divided into petty sessional divisions—all those other than the Isle of Wight—and the Amendments meet that omission.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.

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