HC Deb 13 March 1979 vol 964 cc411-2

Order for Second Reading read.

10.20 p.m.

The Lord Advocate (Mr. Ronald King Murray)

I beg to move That the Bill be now read a Second time.

This is a consolidation measure that incorporates amendments to give effect to certain recommendations of the Scottish Law Commission. They deal with matters that do not affect the main purpose of the Electricity (Scotland) Acts. It consolidates a number of enactments relating to electricity in Scotland. Apart from the amendments that remove certain anomalies, as I have already mentioned, the Bill makes no change in the existing law.

The Bill has been considered by the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills. Hon. Members will recollect that its proceedings were reported to the House by the hon. Member for Chippenham (Mr. Awday). They indicated that there was no point to which the attention of this House should be drawn.

Mr. George Younger (Ayr)

I welcome the Bill. I am grateful to the Lord Advocate for his statement that it does not involve any change in the law. I should like his assurance that consolidating these various electricity enactments into one Bill in no way alters the separate entity of the two Scottish electricity boards, that they are as separate after the Bill as they were before, and that their relationship is as clearly spelt out in the Bill as it previously was. Concern about this has been expressed from time to time over many years. It should be clearly put on record that that in no way changes the position and that the boards remain separate.

The Lord Advocate

There are the small anomalies which I mentioned that have been removed as a result of recommendations by the Scottish Law Commission, but the Bill does not change the thrust of the Electricity (Scotland) Acts at all.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Bill committed to a Committee of the whole House.—[Mr. Joseph Dean.]

Bill immediately considered in Committee; 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.