COMMONS AMENDMENT. (Hansard, 2 August 1944)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, I have to inform the House that inasmuch as one of the Amendments made by the Commons is to the effect that the Bill shall bind the Crown, I have it in command from His Majesty to signify to this House that His Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Bill, gives his consent as far as His Majesty's interests are concerned on behalf of the Crown, and that the House may do therein as it shall see fit.

Your Lordships have the Paper with the Commons Amendments before you, and I am going to move that we agree with them. The Amendments fall into four classes. The first has to do with a slight change made by the Commons in the first clause, arising out of an anxiety lest the words used in the Bill as originally drafted might not be thought to cover a particular case. The words used in the Bill as it left this House were that any agreement which purports to create a tenancy for the duration of the war shall take effect as an agreement for a term of… years. It was pointed out by those who are learned in these matters that there might be a doubt whether these words covered a contract for a tenancy which does not itself grant or create a tenancy. That is a refinement which I do not propose to explain, but your Lordships may take it from me that there is a possible 79 doubt. The consequence is that the Commons have varied the words in five or six cases, all of which are stated on the first page of the print. The first one is in the Title to leave out "create" and insert "grant or provide for the grant of," and I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.