Lords Sitting of 9 December 1937

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

JUDICIARY (SAFEGUARDING) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
LORD RANKEILLOUR: My Lords, I beg to move the Second Reading of this Bill, which has already four times passed your Lordships' House without a Division, and which is in exactly the same form as when it was proposed and passed here in the last Parliament. The object of the Bill is very simple—to re-affirm and state the ancient traditional status of the Judiciary; and the justification, if not the need, for this is that in the Economy Act of 1931 no distinction was made, or at any rate it so appeared, between His Majesty's Judges and His Majesty's civil and military servants. A great feeling was aroused, which was expressed by the Lord Chief Justice, because that distinction had not been observed. In the first draft the noble Marquess, the late Lord Reading, took exception to some of the details, and those were amended on his Motion, but so far as I know there is no opposition to this Bill in its present form, either in this House or in another place. Unfortunately, as so often happens, it failed for want of time in another place, but I have some hope that on this occasion it will be possible to secure its passage.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Rankeillour.)
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM): My Lords, I am sure your Lordships will join with me in admiring the tenacity of purpose and perseverance of my noble friend. Since the days of his distinguished countryman Robert the Bruce I doubt if there has been any comparable case. I feel that the College of Heralds ought to grant him an enrichment of arms with a spider climbing a
420
golden thread, under the motto of "Hope springs eternal"!My noble friend showed admirable ingenuity in finding something fresh to say about this Bill. I am afraid I cannot equal him in finding something fresh to say about it on behalf of the Government. This Bill has now been read sixteen times in your Lordships' House and has passed your Lordships' House, as my noble friend has said, four times; and I have no doubt it will be read for the seventeenth time this afternoon. The Government have expressed their acceptance of the principle of the Bill, which is all we can discuss on Second Reading, twice by the mouth of my noble friend Lord Sankey in 1934, once by my own lips in 1935, and once by the mouth of my noble friend Lord Zetland in 1936. I can only repeat one or other of these speeches, or indeed the whole of them, to express the attitude of the Government of the day.
My noble friend states that on this occasion he has some hope that time will be found for this Bill in another place. I know that that is a problem which my noble friend is far more competent to deal with than I. He has forgotten more than ever I knew about procedure in the House of Commons. He has heard the King's Speech and seen the varied diet which the Government propose to offer to Parliament this Session. He can adequately estimate how far the digestion of another place is equal to another course being provided for it. I believe that the Whips Office is the door through which the business of the House has to pass, and I know my noble friend has channels not open to me of communication with that Office. I hope he will take courage from the experience of my noble friend Lord Mersey, whose Quail Protection Bill met with a somewhat discouraging answer from the Front Bench in this House, yet I have seen that it has been read a second time in another place. Probably that example may give my noble friend a hint which he of all men is capable of taking. I only speak for the Government in this House, and I can only reiterate that commendation of the principles of the Bill has been frequently uttered from the Woolsack and from the Front Bench of this House.
On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

MERCHANT SHIPPING (SUPER ANNUATION CONTRIBUTIONS) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the consideration of Commons Amendments read.
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords, I beg to move that the Commons Amendments be now considered.
Moved, That the Commons Amendments be now considered.—(Lord Templemore.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

COMMONS AMENDMENT.
Clause 1, page 1, lines 18 and 19, leave out ("as from the date on which it is").
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords, this Amendment is simply to bring the Bill into line with something which has happened since it was read a third time and passed by your Lordships' House on the 16th of last month. The Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund had not then been registered under the Superannuation and Other Trust Funds (Validation) Act, 1927, and this was done two days later, on November 18. This Amendment is therefore necessary in order to bring the Bill into line with what has happened. I beg to move that the House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.
Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Templemore.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

COMMONS AMENDMENT.
Clause 1, page 2, line 1, after ("1927") insert ("on the eighteenth day of November, nineteen hundred and thirty-seven").
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords, this Amendment merely inserts the date which I mentioned to your Lordships on the last Amendment. I beg to move that the House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.
Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Templemore.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
LORD SNELL: My Lords, I beg to ask the noble Viscount the Leader of the House if he has any statement to make with regard to the remaining business before Christmas.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (VISCOUNT HALIFAX): My Lords, it is proposed that Parliament should rise for the Christmas Recess on Thursday, December 23, and should reassemble on Tuesday, February 1. The principal measures with which we hope your Lordships will be able to deal before the Recess are the Air-Raid Precautions Bill and the Public Works Loans Bill. We hope to reach the Committee stage of both these measures on Thursday next, December 16.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

ROYAL COMMISSION.
The following Bills received the Royal Assent:

Expiring Laws Continuance,

Supreme Court of Judicature (Amendment),

National Health Insurance (Juvenile Contributors and Young Persons),

Merchant Shipping (Superannuation Contributions),

Hamilton Burgh Order Confirmation,

Rutherglen Burgh Order Confirmation,

Clydebank Burgh Order Confirmation.

House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.
House adjourned at a quarter past five o'clock until Monday next at three o'clock.