§ Order for Second Reading read.
8.54 pm§ The Solicitor-General (Sir Derek Spencer)I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.
The Merchant Shipping Bill, the Shipping and Trading Interests (Protection) Bill and the Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators) Bill are consolidation Bills which resulted from the work of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission. The Merchant Shipping Bill is closely linked to the Bill that follows it, and perhaps the House will permit me to speak to them together.
The Merchant Shipping Bill is a major consolidation measure, encompassing some 30 Acts or sections of Acts dating back to the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. The Shipping and Trading Interests (Protection) Bill covers a discrete topic derived from parts of two of them. Both Bills were referred in the usual way to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills during their passage through the other place. The Joint Committee reported its approval of the Bills, subject to minor amendments and corrections, and its opinion that the Bills are pure consolidation and represent the existing law.
§ Mr. Donald Anderson (Swansea, East)As the Solicitor-General has explained, the three Bills continue the important consolidation work and we have nothing further to add. Much of the undergrowth in the statute book is being taken away by this and by other means, and we can only rise to applaud the work that is being done.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read a Second time.
§ Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Order [19 December], That the Bill be not committed.—[The Solicitor-General.]
§ Question agreed to.
468§ Question, That the Bill be read the Third time, put forthwith and agreed to.
§ Bill accordingly read the Third time, and passed, without amendment.