HL Deb 26 July 1934 vol 93 cc1177-9

Clause 17, page 10, line 35, at end insert ('"' factory' does not include a ship ").

EARL DE LA WARR

My Lords, the object of this Amendment is to make it quite clear that the expression "factory" means a land factory and not a floating factory. It is for the sake of clarification.

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, I cannot make head or tail of this Amendment. If the printing on the list of Amendments, "Clause 17, page 10, line 35" is correct the Bill, if so amended, will read as follows: 'Coastal waters ' means, in relation to any country or territory, waters within a distance of three nautical miles from any point on the coast of any part of that country or territory, as the case may be, measured from low water mark of ordinary spring tides: 'factory' does not include a ship. That is really not English. I consider that this Amendment should be made on page 11, at the end of subsection (1). As printed on the Paper before your Lordships it really does not make sense. I have seen many mistakes made in Bills and I am sorry to see that so many drafting Amendments have to be made to a Bill after leaving your Lordships' House. I thought it was usually our function to correct Bills coming from another place in matters of drafting.

EARL DE LA WARR

I think the Amendment is quite right, and is in the usual form. It will come in as a new paragraph.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Earl De La Warr.)

LORD STRABOLGI

My Lords, may I now say a word on the merits of this Amendment? It really is rather important. Does this mean that floating factories are outside the scope of the Bill? Because the practice in modern whaling is to have quite small whale-catchers and the floating factories are where the main work is done. They are large ships converted for that purpose. I presume that this Amendment is all right, but I hope the floating factories are not going to be outside the area of inspection of the fishery inspectors.

EARL DE LA WARR

My Lords, I think the noble Lord may rest satisfied on this point. It was, I think, discussed in another place, and I think the noble Lord will find that this is an improvement of the Bill.

LORD STRABOLGI

I hope it is.

On Question, Motion agreed to.