§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly:
§ [The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]
§ Clause 1 agreed to.
§ Clause 2:
§ Power to reduce number of members of statutory bodies, etc.
§
2.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, His Majesty may by Order in Council—
(a) make, with respect to any corporation or body of persons of which the constitution is regulated by or under any Act, such provision for extending the term of office of members or officers of the corporation or body, or postponing the date of election of new members or officers of the corporation or body, or for the filling of vacancies among such members or officers;
as appears to His Majesty to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of securing economy or efficiency in the carrying on of the work of the corporation or body under war conditions.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT CALDECOTE) moved, in paragraph (a) of subsection (1), to leave out "of which 1798 the constitution is regulated by or under" and insert "constituted by any Act or Order in Council, or by any Minister of the Crown or Government Department acting in pursuance of." The noble and learned Viscount said: In Clause 2 there is a provision, in subsection (1) (a), by which the term of office of members of certain corporations or bodies may be extended. The form in which the Bill has been drafted would make it possible for an order to be made in respect of an ordinary limited liability company. Of course there was no intention that any such company should be subject to the provisions of this subsection, and therefore I beg to move this Amendment.
§
Amendment moved—
Page 2, line 4, leave out from ("persons") to ("any") in line 5, and insert ("constituted by any Act or Order in Council, or by any Minister of the Crown or Government Department acting in pursuance of").—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Clause 2, as amended, agreed to.
§ Remaining clauses agreed to.
§ Schedule agreed to.
§ Then, Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended, Amendment reported, Bill read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.