§ Order of the Day read for the consideration of Commons Amendments.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (LORD BLEDISLOE)My Lords, I beg to move that the Commons Amendments to this Bill be now considered. Perhaps I may be allowed to say that there are no fewer than 41 Amendments, but I hope that I shall not take long in inflicting them upon your Lordships, and I am going to ask you to be good enough to agree to all of them.
§ Moved, That the Commons Amendments be now considered.—(Lord Bledisloe.)
§ LORD STRACHIEMy Lords, I think the noble Lord might tell the House generally the reason why it has been found necessary to place before your Lordships six pages of Amendments to a Bill which came to this House originally as practically an agreed Bill. I know something about it, because I sat on some of the Committees arranging compromises—for it was a compromise Bill between the agriculturists and the traders. It went down to another place practically as an agreed Bill. That your Lordships should now be asked to consider six pages of Amendments made to it in another place seems rather remarkable, and it is only due to your Lordships to know why the Minister of Agriculture has found it necessary to make all these enormous alterations.
§ LORD BLEDISLOEMy Lords, the noble Lord's question is a very reasonable one. This Bill, as will be realised, is a technical and a very complicated Bill, and since it passed your Lordships' House last summer it has been a matter of considerable discussion as between the farmers and the traders as to whether certain small Amendments should not be incorporated in order to make it more intelligible on the one hand and easier of administration on the other. Most of the Amendments that I have to submit to your Lordships are pure drafting Amendments, and will certainly make the Bill more intelligible.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.