HL Deb 28 July 1931 vol 81 cc1271-3

Page 19, line 36, at end insert the following new clause:

Duration of powers of Minister.

(". The provisions of Sections six, seven and eight of this Act, and, so far as they confer power upon the Minister to provide allotments or to acquire land therefor, of Section fourteen of this Act, shall have effect for the period of four years from the commencement of this Act, and no longer:

Provided that the expiry of the said provisions shall not—

  1. (a) affect the previous operation there of or of anything duly done or suffered thereunder; or
  2. (b) affect any right, privilege, obligation or liability acquired, accrued or incurred thereunder; or
  3. (c) affect any legal proceeding, arbitration, remedy or investigation in respect of such right, privilege, obligation or liability as aforesaid;
and any such legal proceeding, arbitration, remedy or investigation may be instituted, enforced or continued as if the provisions aforesaid had not expired.")

The Commons agree to the above Amendment, with the following Amendment: Paaage 19, line 5, leave out ("four") and insert ("ten").

VISCOUNT HAILSHAM had given Notice to move, That this House doth disagree with the Amendment proposed by the Commons to the Lords Amendment in page 19, line 36 (i.e., in line 5, leave out "four" and insert "ten") but proposes the following Amendment in lieu thereof: leave out "ten" and insert "seven". The noble and learned Viscount said: My Lords, this matter relates to the duration of the time limit, and with regard to this again I have said what I desire to say. This is a real concession on behalf of the Government, and I accept it as such. They have accepted a time limit. The time limit which this House inserted was four years. The time limit now suggested is ten years. I am suggesting to your Lordships that seven years would be the right period to insert, and I do it for this reason. Nobody suggests, of course, that at the end of seven years this Bill must necessarily come to an end. That is not the proposal. The suggestion is that at the end of seven years Parliament should review the position and either continue or not continue the provisions of the Act according to whether they have proved successful or unsuccessful. In order to do that there must be a long enough interval provided to give the experiment a fair chance. It will take same two or three years to get the thing going. In agricultural matters you cannot decide on one season. Obviously seasons vary very much, and it will take a little while for small holders themselves to get established and to get experience.

According to such advice as I have been able to obtain from some of your Lordships whom I have consulted, seven years is a sufficient time to enable Parliament to form a fair opinion about the success or non-success of the experiment. That was why I intended to suggest seven years instead of ten years. I hope I am not betraying a secret when I say that the noble Earl, whilst I have been speaking, has passed over a note in which he says, "We will settle at eight." As I am met in that spirit of reasonableness it is a little difficult to insist on seven when we are so close together. Therefore, with the permission of your Lordships and of the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack, I would like to move my Motion in the form that we leave out "ten" and insert "eight."

Moved, That this House doth disagree to the Amendment proposed by the Commons to the Lords Amendment in page 19, line 36 (i.e., in line 5, leave out "four" and insert "ten") but proposes the following Amendment in lieu thereof:

Leave out ("ten") and insert ("eight").—(Viscount Hailsham.)

On Question, Motion agreed to: the Commons Amendment disagreed to and the substituted Amendment agreed to accordingly.