§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I am sorry to have to inflict myself upon you again but I can explain this Bill in a very few minutes. It provides that where the Attorney-General is not available to do whatever he ought to do the Solicitor-General may do it for him. It is a remarkable fact that we should have lived for so long a time under a Constitution which contained no such provision. Of course, difficulty would arise if there were no Attorney-General, but hitherto I believe it has always been possible to find a proper person to be Attorney-General. If, however, the Attorney-General happened to be ill, or absent on public duty in another country, it would be extremely inconvenient if duties which are specially confined to him could not be discharged for him by his comrade the Solicitor-General. The Attorney-General is the only person who can direct certain prosecutions, and there are other instances of that kind. It has been thought well therefore to provide that if the Attorney-General is not available the Solicitor-General would be able to act for him. I beg to move.
§ Moved, that the Bill be now read 2a.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.