§ [Lords]
§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ 10.17 p.m.
§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Michael Havers)I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.
This is a consolidation Bill which seeks to give effect to the recommendations of the Law Commission in its report which was laid before Parliament last December.
The Joint Committee has looked at the Bill. I should draw the attention of the House to one slightly unusual point which the Committee recommended that the House should accept. I refer to Clause 21, whereby the draftsman has applied two new definitions—financial provision and property adjustment orders—to different sets of orders which a court may make under the provisions of the Bill. The Committee described that as a simple drafting point to make the Bill more perspicuous, which clearly achieves that result.
§ 10.18 p.m.
§ Mr. S. C. Silkin (Dulwich)The whole House will be grateful to the Law Commission and those others concerned for this useful piece of consolidation, but it rather looks as though we shall have to have still further consolidation in a very short time as a result of a Private Member's Bill now passing through the House, which makes fundamental changes to the rules of jurisdiction. We look forward to that in a short time.
I should like to express my personal approval and thanks for the new procedure whereby we can deal with these normally wholly uncontroversial pieces of consolidation in one evening instead of two.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read a Second time.
§ Bill committed to a Committee of the whole House.—[Mr. Kenneth Clarke.]
§ Bill immediately considered in Committee.
§ [Mr. E. L. MALLALIEU in the Chair]
§ Clauses 1 to 10 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
175§ Question proposed, That Clauses 11 to 20 stand part of the Bill.
§ Sir Elwyn Jones (West Ham, South)On a general matter, which is perhaps not directly related to the clauses which we are now considering, I congratulate the Government on the expedition with which they have given effect to the admirable output of the Law Commission. May it continue.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Clauses 11 to 20 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ Clauses 21 to 55 ordered to stand part of the Bill.
176§ Schedules 1 to 3 agreed to.
§ Bill reported, without amendment.
§ Motion made, and Question, That the Bill be now read the Third time, put forthwith pursuant to Standing Order No. 56 (Third Reading), and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed, without amendment.
§ ADJOURNMENT
§ Resolved, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. Kenneth Clarke.]
§ Adjourned accordingly at twenty-two minutes past Ten o'clock.