HL Deb 02 May 1939 vol 112 cc825-7

4.16 p.m.

Order of the Day for the consideration of Commons Amendments read.

VISCOUNT MERSEY

My Lords, in moving that the Commons Amendments be now considered, it will be convenient, perhaps, if I remind your Lordships of the object and the history of this Bill. It came before the House last year as a Bill agreed between the different societies connected with the protection of wild birds and it was backed by the Home Secretary's Advisory Committee. It went through your Lordships' House very quickly and we hoped that it would have an equally easy passage in another place, but other interests which arose there delayed it. There were some who wished to extend and others to diminish the close season. However, an agreement has now been arrived at, owing largely to the ability of Sir Thomas Moore backed by the powerful support of Sir Samuel Hoare.

The Amendments which I shall ask your Lordships to agree to are, in the opinion of the Home Secretary's Advisory Committee, a strengthening of the Bill. They will have effect in two ways. One is to extend the close season by setting it back from February 15 to February 1, and I may say that February 1 was in the original Bill as it was drafted before it came to your Lordships' House. The other is to allow a rather longer period for the shooting of wild duck and geese along the seashore, and in that case power is given to the Secretary of State, on application, to allow that period to be extended up to February 21. That really is the sense of the Commons Amendments. I beg to move that they be now considered.

Moved, That the Commons Amendments be now considered.—(Viscount Mersey.)

THE EARL OF MANSFIELD

My Lords, while I am in complete agreement with the noble Viscount's statement that this measure has returned to your Lordships' House in a stronger and therefore better form than that in which it left, I feel very regretful that we had not the opportunity of discussing it in detail here, because, as those of your Lordships who were present at the time will remember, those of us who had Amendments on the Paper were dissuaded by the plea—which unfortunately was not justified by events—that we should get the Bill through in time for it to become effective in February this year. It is now half promised by the Home Secretary that a further Bill to consolidate, and I hope to clarify, the present very unsatisfactory condition of the law regarding wild bird protection will be introduced before very long. When that is done I hope opportunity will be taken to remedy certain anomalies in the present Bill with which I will not trouble your Lordships now. I would like to make a further suggestion that if such legislation is introduced there will be two Bills, one to deal with the shooting season of such wild birds as may receive legal protection, and the other to deal with the general and very thorny question of wild bird protection. I entirely agree with the noble Viscount that this Bill is now a better measure.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (EARL DE LA WARR)

My Lords, I do not think it necessary to add anything on behalf of the Government, except to confirm what the noble Viscount, Lord Mersey, has said, that the Home Office are strongly in favour of the Bill and regard the Commons Amendments as a definite improvement.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)

My Lords, as I am Chairman of the Advisory Committee I will only add a word to what the noble Viscount has said about the Commons Amendments. I hope your Lordships will accept the Amendments, because I think that on the whole they improve the Bill, and it is very desirable that it should be passed into law as early as possible.

On Question, Motion agreed to.