HC Deb 14 July 1978 vol 953 cc1963-5

Lords amendment: No. 6, in page 4, line 5, leave out Clause 5.

Mr. Townsend

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

Provision requiring the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions to proceedings under the Act now appears as subsection (3) of new clause A, and clause 5 is now redundant.

Question put and agreed to.

Lords amendments nos. 7 and 8 agreed to.

Lords amendment: No. 9, in page 5, after clause 7, at end insert new clause F (similar provision for Northern Ireland): F. An Order in Council under paragraph 1(1)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland Act 1974 (legislation for Northern Ireland in the interim period) which contains a statement that it operates only so as to make for Northern Ireland provision corresponding to this Act—

  1. (a) shall not be subject to paragraph 1(4) and (5) of that Schedule (affirmative resolution of both Houses of Parliament); but
  2. (b) shall be subject to annulment by a resolution of either House."

Mr. Townsend

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

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this amendment we may take Lords amendments nos. 10, 11 and 12.

Mr. Townsend

I am delighted that the Government have announced that they wish to make equivalent provision to this Bill in Northern Ireland and that this will be done by way of Order in Council under the Northern Ireland Act 1974 as soon as possible after the Bill becomes law. Lords amendments nos. 9, 11 and 12 pave the way for this to happen.

At the time of the Second Reading debate in this House I intended to incorporate Scotland, but I consulted the Scottish Office and the Scottish officials were perfectly happy that their own laws gave them adequate cover.

New clause F enables the Order in Council applying the provisions of the Bill to Northern Ireland to be subject to a negative and not the usual affirmative resolution procedure. It will mean that it can be more quickly brought into effect in the Province.

Amendments nos. 11 and 12 amend the provisions about territorial extent and commencement respectively in a consequential way. The other amendment— amendment no. 10—extends to Scotland and Northern Ireland the application of the provisions making offences under the Bill extraditable. This has been done because the Extradition Act 1870 and the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967 both apply throughout the United Kingdom. Therefore, any amendment of those Acts, as contained in new clause A, should also extend throughout the United Kingdom.

Amendment agreed to.

Lords amendments nos. 10 to 13 agreed to.

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