§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Ian Percival): I beg to move amendment No. 1, in page 2, line 2, leave out '71/2' and insert '8'.
§ The Bill and the others to which we shall come in a moment have passed through the other place and come thus far with a tranquillity and brevity that are perhaps the best reflection that there could be of the great confidence reposed by both Houses in the work of the Joint Select Committee, the Law Commission and the draftsmen. Some hon. Members will know that that tranquillity was momentarily broken last Friday morning, but, due to the presence of mind of the Patronage Secretary and the assistance of the House—particularly that of the right hon. and learned Member for Warley, West (Mr. Archer), to whom I offer my warm thanks—the tranquillity was quickly restored and our customary brevity was even improved upon.
§ As my right hon. Friend has clearly developed a feel for the presentation of consolidation Bills and managed to shorten the time taken to even less than that achieved by the rest of us, I had thought of inviting him to take charge of the remaining stages. I have not done so because I want to take this, my first, opportunity to echo what was said on Friday about the part played by the Commission, the Committee and the draftsmen.
§ I hope that my right hon. Friend the Chief Whip will receive the message, in which I am sure the right hon. and learned Gentleman will join me, that if he should feel a wish to intervene in these proceedings later this evening the Committee would be agreeably disposed to hearing more of the eloquence that he displayed last Friday, which can be read in Hansard, at column 13, lines 33 to 38.
§ The Chairman: Order. I am sorry to interrupt the Solicitor-General, but we are discussing an amendment. This is not a general debate, and I hope that no one will feel tempted to indulge in one.
§ The Solicitor-General: You have beaten me by a second, Mr. Weatherill. I was about to say "I turn to the first amendment". I hope that you will not rule me out of order if on this amendment I say something that is common to all the others, because it will save me repeating it.
§ Most of the amendments are necessary because the Finance Act 1981 altered some of the provisions that are consolidated in this Bill. If any hon. Member wishes me to give information on any of the amendments, I shall be happy to do so. In the absence of any indication to that effect, I shall simply move the amendments formally.
§ Mr. Peter Archer (Warley, West): I am grateful to the Solicitor-General for his kind comments. There is nothing between the two sides of the House on the matter of law reform. We are all anxious to expedite the passage of the Bill. If I say no more, I hope that that will be interpreted simply as a desire to expedite its passage.
1037§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Clause 1, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.
§ Clauses 2 to 16 ordered to stand part of the Bill.