HL Deb 24 June 1936 vol 101 cc194-5

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Ritchie of Dundee.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly:

[The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]

Clause 1 [Limitation of liability of pilotage authorities]:

LORD STRABOLGI

When the noble Lord, Lord Ritchie, moved the Second Beading of this Bill, I said that certain provisions in it had exercised the pilots of the country and that they would be very glad if opportunity were given them of examining further into the matter with the Board of Trade experts and the noble Lord and his friends. I want to thank the noble Lord for not attempting to bring on too quickly the Committee stage of the Bill and for giving time for consultations which, as he knows, have been quite successful. The agents for the promoters and the representatives of the pilots and the officials of the Board of Trade have gone into the whole question and the Board of Trade has given a certain undertaking which satisfies the pilots. The undertaking is that in connection with the point which had rather alarmed the pilots, if any authority suggests meeting a claim against it under the Bill by levying an increased contribution from the pilotage dues, the Board of Trade will listen to the pilots' case and arbitrate on the matter upon an application by the pilots under Section 18 of the Pilotage Act. I understand that that satisfies the promoters of the Bill. It was examined by the Conference of the United Kingdom Pilots Association at Bristol last week and it satisfies them. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking the representative in your Lordships' House of the Board of Trade for the help and advice given by his advisers in the matter and I hope that the Bill will now have a quick passage into law and achieve its object.

LORD RITCHIE OF DUNDEE

I am obliged to the noble Lord. It is not for me, of course, to speak for the Board of Trade, but I should like to say how very pleased I am to know that the Bill is now a generally agreed Bill.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2 agreed to.

Clause 3 [Power of Courts to consolidate claims]:

LORD RITCHIE OF DUNDEE

The first Amendment on the Paper is a drafting Amendment. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 2, line 11, after (" of ") insert (" Justice in ").—(Lord Ritchie of Dundee.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD RITCHIE OF DUNDEE

The second Amendment on the Paper is also drafting. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 2, line 12, after (" Ireland ") insert (" or in the Isle of Man to the High Court of Justice of the Isle of Man ").—(Lord Ritchie of Dundee.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Clause 3, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.