§ LORD TEMPLEMOREMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend the Leader of the House, I beg to move the Motion standing in his name.
§ Moved, That Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered in order to its being dispensed with for the purpose of passing the Liabilities (War-time Adjustment) Bill through its remaining stages.—(Lord Templemore.)
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT SIMON)My Lords, before I put the question to the House I think it only respectful to explain that the Bill referred to, the Liabilities (War-time Adjustment) Bill, has since the Second Reading become more urgent than ever. That is due to the return of large numbers of persons, who had been evacuated, to the coastal areas in the South and East of England. They are returning to find that they have in many cases very considerable liabilities which have piled up against them, though it is quite true that under a moratorium those liabilities cannot for the moment be enforced by the creditors against them. The object of this Bill, as your Lordships may remember, is to provide a better service, in the course of which we hope to adjust the liabilities themselves—to get landlords, for example, to agree to reduce unpaid rents, and so on. As these people are now returning to the coastal districts, it has become a matter of the greatest urgency to provide the additional assistance which will be given by the passing of this Bill; otherwise we should not have asked for the remaining stages of the Bill to be taken together.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.