§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ LORD MARLEYMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Kinnoull, who is unable to be here, I desire to move the Second Reading of this Bill. It is a very brief Bill, correcting a mistake in the original Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920, and the Rent and Mortgage Interest Restrictions (Amendment) Act, 1933, under which, if a tenant of a controlled house makes a will, his widow cannot remain the tenant in law. It seems that if he dies intestate she can remain a tenant in law, and there appears to be no reason why we should penalise the widow of a man who makes a will. Therefore this Bill modifies these two Acts in this respect. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Marley.)
VISCOUNT GAGEMy Lords, the Government agree that there does appear to be an anomaly here, and they further agree that the Bill as drafted does appear to remedy this anomaly without cutting across the principle that a tenancy cannot be disposed by will.
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House