§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bryant Godman Irvine): I call Mr. Humphrey Atkins to speak on the Northern Ireland order.
§ The Solicitor General (Sir Ian Percival): I beg to move,
That the draft Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, which was laid before this House on 9th July, be approved.
§ The order consolidates the law of Northern Ireland relating to practice and procedure before magistrates' courts. The extent of the repeals of existing enactments contained in schedule 7 to the Bill demonstrates the value of the measure in gathering all of those provisions into one consolidated measure. Therefore, I am sure that it will be welcomed by all.
§ The Joint Committee reported on 15 July that it had considered the draft, and was satisfied that it was pure consolidation and there was no point to which the attention of Parliament should be drawn. I know of no other point to which I should draw the attention of the House.
§ Question put and agreed to.