ACTS DONE UNDER STATUTORY AUTHORITY

HC Deb 25 July 1988 vol 138 c144

Mr. Butcher

I beg to move amendment No. 50, in page 20, line 43, at end insert— '(3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as excluding any defence of statutory authority otherwise available under or by virtue of any enactment.'.

Madam Deputy Speaker

With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendment No. 141.

Mr. Butcher

The amendment will ensure that a defendant is not debarred from pleading a statutory authority for an act which infringes copyright merely because there is no specific provision in an Act of Parliament. It will be, as under the present law, a matter of construction of the statutory provision in question.

On about half of the occasions when I have moved an amendment formally, my purpose has been to comply with a request from the Opposition.

Amendment agreed to.