VISITING FORCES BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 29 October 1952)

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD SIMONDS)

My Lords, I beg to move that the Commons Amendments be now considered. There are a substantial number of Amendments which have been made to this Bill in the Commons. On behalf of Her Majesty's Government, I am prepared to accept all the Amendments which were made. I do not know whether it would be in accordance with your Lordships' wishes that I should take them en bloc, giving to your Lordships the opportunity, of course, to raise any point in regard to any particular Amendment, or whether you would wish me 1069 to go through the Amendments one by one, putting the question upon each Amendment. I can tell your Lordships this: the Amendments make no substantial alteration to the principle of the Bill, and in many respects I think they improve it. In particular, they carry out some suggestions that I made when I was introducing this Bill to your Lordships, and in other respects I think they go some way to satisfy the demands that were made, both in this House and in the other place, to secure additional safeguards for the liberty of the subject. I do not know whether I might venture to ask the noble and learned Earl, Lord Jowitt, whether he would wish me to take one course or the other for the convenience of the House.