§ "Subject to section 33(1) of this Act, any reference in this Act to a public company or to a company other than a private company shall unless the context otherwise requires be construed as including a reference to an old public company (within the meaning of section 8 of the 1980 Act) and any reference to a private company shall be construed accordingly.'.—[Mr. Peter Rees.]
§ Brought up, and read the First time.
§ Mr. Peter ReesI beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bryant Godman Irvine)With this it will be convenient to take Government amendment No. 58.
§ Mr. ReesI thank the hon. Member for Hackney, Central (Mr. Davis) for his extremely courteous and generous words. I am sure that he and the House will be tender of my innocence on this occasion, even if, as the hon. Gentleman forecast, we may have to cross our rhetorical swords on some other occasion. I hope that that occasion will not be presented by the clause, which is of extreme simplicity. Its purpose, together with the related amendment, is to ensure that where appropriate the Bill's provisions that are applicable to public companies and companies other than private companies apply also to old public companies in the meaning of section 8 of the Companies Act 1980.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Clause read a Second time, and added to the Bill.