§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ LORD ARNOLDMy Lords, this Bill also stands in the name of my noble friend Lord Russell, and perhaps your Lordships will permit me to speak to it. It is a short, non-controversial Bill, which does an act of justice to the widows of Fire Brigade men when those men, while in the service, die a natural death. The Bill seeks to rectify an obvious omission from the Fire Brigade Act of 1925. By some strange oversight when that Act, the principal Act, was passed, whereas it made provision for the return of rateable deductions in the event of a man dying in the service, it made no provision in the case of a man who died a natural death. Therefore, a real injustice arises. I understand, for instance, that there is one case in which a man paid as much as £80 to cover past services, but owing to this omission his widow and orphans were not entitled to draw a single penny because he died a natural death. That is exceedingly hard, and I think your Lordships will agree that the matter 410 should be put right. This Bill also has passed through another place. I understand it has the support of the Government. It remedies something which, I think, really needs remedying and I hope your Lordships will give it a Second Reading. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Arnold.)
§ LORD DESBOROUGHMy Lords, the position of the Government with regard to this Bill is the same as that which they adopted as regards the previous one. This Bill remedies an injustice which had really been somewhat overlooked and they hope that your Lordships will give it a Second Reading and pass it into law as soon as possible.
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.