HL Deb 13 April 1943 vol 127 cc150-1

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

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Comrnittee.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly:

[The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT SIMON)

My Lords, it is possible, I think, to move these Amendments, which are only verbal, en bloc. The Bill was introduced as a Consolidation Bill and went to the Joint Committee of both Houses. The Committee have now made a Report and in that Report the Committee state that the Bill "reproduces the existing law as embodied in the three Acts which it consolidates" and the Committee "are satisfied of the expediency of the consolidation." The Committee make four or live suggested verbal changes in the Bill, purely for the purpose of making it easy to understand, and it is those Amendments which I have to move. I move the first one as a matter of form and perhaps then I might move the remainder en bloc.

Amendment moved— Clause 27, make lines 28 to 38 on page 24 a separate clause.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

My Lords, I should like to ask the Lord Chancellor a question. This is a pure Consolidation Bill. He has informed the House, and we accept what he said, that it does not make any substantial difference in the law; otherwise to pass en bloc, and without consideration, substantial changes in the case of a Consolidation Bill which is supposed to do nothing except consolidate, would be a strong measure. It would be stronger still if Amendments are not given notice of in the ordinary way but are, as I understand, in manuscript.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

I entirely agree with the noble Marquess. Apart from my own assurance, I call attention to the Report of the Joint Committee of the Lords and Commons. That Report states that the Bill as drafted "reproduces the existing law as embodied in the three Acts which it consolidates," and that it is expedient to make the consolidation. Indeed, the Committee go on to say that they "are of opinion that the Bill as amended is pure consolidation" and "represents the existing law as regards war damage, and that the Bill should be allowed to proceed." The only Amendments which are suggested will be found on Page 3 of that Report. It is available, and the Amendments to that extent are not in manuscript. These are the Amendments which the Committee suggest, not to alter the law in the very least, but merely to secure that the way in which it is expressed will be rather easier to understand.

THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

That is quite satisfactory.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

With your Lordships' permission, I move the rest of the Amendments en bloc.

Moved, That the remaining Amendments proposed by the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills in the clauses of the Bill be made.—(The Lord Chancellor).

On Question, Motion agreed to.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

There is also a proposal to alter the Title of the Bill so as to insert at rather more length the names of the three Acts which are being consolidated. That is purely for the purpose of better understanding. The Bill was quite correctly drafted from the lawyer's point of view, but it is more intelligible to put in the names of the three Acts as is proposed. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— In the Title, leave out ("Acts, 1941 to 1943") and insert ("Act, 1941, the War Damage (Amendment) Act, 1942, and the War Damge (Amendment) Act, 1943 (other than provisions thereof for amending the War Risks Insurance Act, 1939)").—(The Lord Chancellor.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Title, as amended, agreed to.