§ Order for Second Reading read.
9.41 am§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Michael Ancram)I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.
This measure consolidates the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1960. The report of the Joint Committee on Consolidation &c. Bills is to the effect that the Bill, as amended by the Joint Committee, is pure consolidation. Amendments were required to ensure that clause 42 of the Bill conformed to the existing law. As originally drafted, that clause would have made improvements to the law, but since the scope of the Bill is confined to pure consolidation, the Committee was unable to allow the changes to be made.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read a Second time.
§ Bill committed to a Committee of the whole House.— [Mr. Major.]
§ Committee upon Monday next.