HL Deb 25 November 1926 vol 65 cc847-8

Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.

VISCOUNT GAGE

My Lords, as your Lordships will have realised this is not a Bill for the reform of the Poor Law, but a Bill to consolidate the various enactments relating to the subject of the Poor Law. At present they are to be found in about one hundred Acts of Parliament, ranging from the Poor Relief Act of Queen Elizabeth's day to modern times. It will be seen from the Schedule of repeals appended to the Bill that some 60 Acts of Parliament are proposed for total repeal and about 40 others for repeal in part. The general effect of the Bill would be to replace about 220 pages of the Statutes Revised, many of which represent pre-Victorian legislation and are archaic in form, by an Act of 140 pages, couched in modern language and arranged in modern form.

I do not think it will be necessary to make out any elaborate case for the necessity of this Bill. Consolidation has, I believe, been regarded as desirable for a number of years. It is obvious that should be so when it is remembered that the enactments concerned cover a period of about three hundred years, during which not only the language but also the social conditions involved have undergone very serious modification. But I must explain the reasons which have led His Majesty's Government to attempt this very considerable task now. Firstly, it is done on the general grounds which I have already mentioned and, secondly, because it forms part of the policy of my right hon. friend the Minister of Health to consolidate and to simplify as many as possible of the complicated Acts of Parliament for the administration of which he is respon- sible. I need only give in this connection the example of the Housing and Insurance Acts passed in the last two years. Thirdly, recent experience has convinced the Government that it would be impossible satisfactorily to discuss Poor Law reform by the light of the existing enactments, and that an attempt should be made to reduce the existing Poor Laws to a single code which would be readily available to all persons interested and from which the scope and effect of the changes proposed could easily be seen. In the event of your Lordships agreeing to a Second Reading of this Bill I shall propose that it be sent to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 2ª.—(Viscount Gage.)

On Question, Bill read 2ª.

Moved, That the Bill be referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.—(Viscount Gage.)

On Question, Motion agreed to and ordered accordingly.