HC Deb 22 March 1976 vol 908 c167

Lords amendment: No. 11, in Schedule 3, page 16, line 4, leave out from "Proceedings" to end of line 7, and insert: shall not be instituted—

  1. (a) in England and Wales for an offence under section 1, 2, 9, 10 or 11 of this Act, except by or with the consent of the Attorney General, or
  2. (b) in Northern Ireland for an offence under section 9, 10 or 11 of this Act, except by or with the consent of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland."

Dr. Summerskill

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

This is a purely drafting amendment. It amends paragraph 3 of Schedule 3, which prevents proceedings from being instituted for offences under the Bill except with the consent of the Attorney-General.

Its purpose is to make absolutely clear the fact that the reference to the Attorney-General in Schedule 3 includes a reference to the Attorney-General for Northern Ireland in relation to proceedings in Northern Ireland. In practice, under Section 10 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973, the two offices are held by the same person. However, when authorising prosecutions in Northern Ireland, the Attorney-General does so as "Attorney-General for Northern Ireland" and the amendment therefore meets this purely technical point.

Question put and agreed to.