§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ LORD STANMOREMy Lords, this Bill is designed to supplement the provisions of the Law Agents Apprenticeship (War Service) (Scotland) Act, 1914, regarding the reckoning of war service towards apprenticeship to a law agent in Scotland. The 1914 Act enables a person who has served with the forces, and who was during such service under an indenture of apprenticeship to a law agent, to reckon one half of his service with the forces as service under his indenture. The present Bill makes similar provision for (1) cases where war service, other than service in the forces, has been undertaken; (2) cases where the indenture of apprenticeship is entered into after the termination of the war service. It has been thought right to limit both the period of war service, which may be so reckoned, and the time within which the indenture must be entered into, in order to take advantage of the provisions 854 of the Bill. Similar provisions with regard to apprenticeship to solicitors in England are contained in the Solicitors (Articled Clerks) Act, 1918, and in the Solicitors (Articled Clerks) Bill, which recently passed the House of Lords and was sent to the House of Commons.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Stanmore.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.