§ Read 3a (according to Order).
§ Clause 1:
§ Representatives of disabled men to be included among the members of committees.
§ 1.—(1) Every scheme regulating the constitution of a local or district committee under section two of the Naval and Military War Pensions, &c., Act, 1915, shall provide for the inclusion among the members of the local or district committee of at least two disabled men who have been discharged from the naval or military service of His Majesty during the present war and of a woman who is in receipt of a pension as the widow or other dependant of a man in the said naval or military service who has died from causes arising out of his service during the present war.
§ (2) Where such a scheme, framed before the passing of this Act, does not provide, as aforesaid, the council by which the scheme was framed shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act and subject to the approval of the Minister of Pensions, frame a supplemental scheme revising the existing scheme so as to give effect to the provisions of this section, and if within such 60 time, not being less than one month, as the Minister may allow the council does not frame such a supplemental scheme, or such a supplemental scheme as the Minister approves, the Minister may himself frame a supplemental scheme, which shall have the like effect as if it had been framed by the council and approved by the Minister.
§ (3) There shall be included among the members of every sub-committee appointed under the said section for any part of the area of a local committee for any county (including the county of London) or county borough, and among the members of every joint committee appointed by two or more local committees, whether in either case appointed before or after the commencement of this Act, at least two such disabled men as aforesaid.
§ Where any such sub-committee or any joint committee has been appointed before the commencement of this Act the local committee or committees, as the case may be, by which it was appointed shall, as soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, make the necessary appointment for the purpose of giving effect to the foregoing provision, and if the local committee or committees, fail within such time, not being less than one month, as the Minister of Pensions may allow so to do, the Minister may himself make the appointment.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE EARL OF CRAWFORD) moved to amend subsection (3), after the word "fail" ["and if the local committee or committees fail"], by inserting "to make the appointment"; and by omitting the words "so to do" ["as the Minister of Pensions may allow so to do"]. The noble Earl said: My Lords, I have two purely drafting Amendments to move which do not change the policy or substance of the Bill in any way.
§ Amendments moved—
§ Clause 1, page 2, line 17, after ("fail") insert ("to make the appointment")
§ Clause 1, page 2, line 18, leave out ("so to do").—(The Earl of Crawford.)
§ On Question, Amendments agreed to.
§ Bill passed, and returned to the Commons.