Lords Sitting of 23 February 1932

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH PRO VISIONAL ORDER (MAIDSTONE EXTENSION) BILL.
Reported without amendment, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH PRO VISIONAL ORDER (SITTINGBOURNE AND MILTON) BILL.
Reported without amendment, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House to-morrow.
SIDMOUTH WATER BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a
SEA FISHERIES PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL.
Read 2a (according to Order).

DESTRUCTIVE IMPORTED ANIMALS BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (EARL DE LA WARR): My Lords, this Bill is designed to deal with the danger of the musk rat. It was thoroughly considered by your Lordships last summer and approved, so that I do not think it necessary to trouble your Lordships with any further details except to say that since your Lordships gave the Bill a Second Reading a number of musk rats have escaped and have done a considerable amount of damage. I beg to move that the Bill be read a second time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a. —(Earl De La Warr.)
On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

DANGEROUS DRUGS BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
Moved, That the House do resolve itself into Committee.—(The Earl of Lucan.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House in Committee accordingly:
[The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]
Clause 1 agreed to.
Clause 2:
Prohibition of trade, etc., in new drugs and power to apply Part III of principal Act with or without modifications to certain drugs.
2.—(1) It shall not be lawful for any person in the United Kingdom to trade in or manufacture for the purpose of trade any products obtained from any of the phenanthrene alkaloids of opium or from the ecgonine alkaloids of the coca leaf, not being a product which was on the thirteenth day of July, nineteen hundred and thirty-one, being used for medical or scientific purposes:
Provided that if His Majesty is at any time satisfied as respects any such product that it is of medical or scientific value, he may by Order in Council direct that this subsection shall cease to apply to that product.
THE EARL OF LUCAN THE EARL OF LUCAN moved to insert at the end of subsection (1) of Clause 2: "If any person acts in contravention of this subsection he shall be guilty of an offence against the principal Act." The noble Earl said: This is a manuscript Amendment which your Lordships may have seen. The Government are very much indebted to my noble friend Viscount Bertie for having drawn attention to an omission in the Bill as it was drafted. The reason for bringing forward this Amendment is that as the Bill stands no specific penalty is provided in Clause 2 for the infraction of the provisions contained in it. The unlawfulness of certain acts is stated but there is no penalty. Without any further provision the offences dealt with in the clause might be punishable as Common Law mis-
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demeanours, but it is thought that it would be more satisfactory that the penalties for such offences should be the same as the penalties for offences under the existing Acts. These penalties are laid down in Section 2 of the Dangerous Drugs Act, 1923. I do not think I need give any further explanation.
Amendment moved—
Page 4, line 13, at end insert ("If any person acts in contravention of this subsection he shall be guilty of an offence against the principal Act")—(The Earl of Lucan.)
VISCOUNT BERTIE OF THAME: I beg to express my thanks to the noble Earl for having relieved me of the task of moving the Amendment myself.
On Question, Amendment agreed to.
Clause 2, as amended, agreed to.
Remaining clauses agreed to.

HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICES.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW): My Lords, I think it is the invariable custom—at least it is stated, not in the Standing Orders, but in the Companion to the Standing Orders—that the Lord Privy Seal as a member of your Lordships' House should be a member of the House of Lords Offices Committee. When the Committee was set up the noble Viscount, Lord Snowden, was not a member of your Lordships' House. The noble Viscount has since become one and I think, in accordance with usual practice, his name should be added to the list of those of your Lordships who serve on the House of Lords Offices Committee. It so happens that there is a meeting of that Committee to-morrow and I therefore hope your Lordships will agree to the Motion to add Viscount Snowden to the Committee so that, if possible, he may attend to-morrow afternoon. I beg to move.
Moved, That the Lord Privy Seal be added to the Select Committee on House of Lords Offices.—(The Earl of Onslow.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes past four o'clock