§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandI beg to move amendment No. 1, in page 3, line 33, leave out
'or is not a fit and proper person to act as an interim trustee'.
§ Mr. Deputy SpeakerWith this it will be convenient to take Government amendments Nos. 2 and 31.
§ The Solicitor-General for ScotlandHon. Members who attended the Committee stage of the Bill will recall that the Government introduced several amendments to provide an interim system relating to the qualifications required for insolvency practitioners under the Bill until part I of the Insolvency Bill comes into effect and the system contained in that part can be used throughout Great Britain.
These amendments retain that interim provision, but also provide for the time when part I of the Insolvency Bill comes into force. It was originally intended that such provisions would be inserted into this Bill by part I of the Insolvency Bill when that part became effective, but on further consideration we have decided that it is simpler and more convenient to amend now so that the Bill's provisions tell the whole story.
§ Mr. MillanThis is another matter which I raised in Committee, and I am glad that the provision is being tidied up. One difficulty with the Bill is that it ran simultaneously with the Insolvency Bill and the Government seemed unable to make up their mind about many important matters in the Insolvency Bill. All the provisions relating to insolvency practitioners were rewritten during the Report stage of the Insolvency Bill last week, which produced an almost completely new part I. I am still unhappy about at least one aspect of the insolvency practitioner provision in that Bill, but it would be more appropriate to pursue that with the Department of Trade and Industry than with the Solicitor-General.
In the meantime, I am glad that the interim arrangements have been clarified by the amendments.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§
Amendment made: No. 2, in page 3, line 45, at end insert—
';
Provided also that, until the coming into force of section 2 of the Insolvency Act 1985 (qualifications of insolvency practitioners), paragraph (b) above shall have effect as if at the end were added the words "or is not a fit and proper person to act as an interim trustee".'.—[The Solicitor-General for Scotland.]