§ 2.40 p.m.
§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
4§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Rea.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly:
§ [The EARL OF DROGHEDA in the Chair]
§ Clause 1 [Amendment of s. 7 of Harbours, Piers and Ferries (Scotland) Act, 1937]:
§ LORD SALTOUN had given notice of an Amendment to substitute "fifty thousand pounds" for "twenty-five thousand pounds." The noble Lord said: With respect to the Amendment standing in my name, I have received a letter from the Minister of State pointing out that, since last year, the procedure in the case of Provisional Orders has been very much simplified in Scotland and consultations with the Scottish Office take place with much more facility, and asking me if I would refrain from moving the Amendment which stands in my name. I am quite ready to agree to the Minister of State's request, but I should like to take this opportunity of asking the Government whether, with respect to all the old liquidated damages and penalties contained in Bills which have not been amended since 1914, these penalties should not be considered, gone into and brought up to date.
§ I ought to tell your Lordships that I have some interest in this matter, or perhaps some apparent interest, because the premises on the river where I live were run into by a tug the other day and, if it had been my neighbour's house it would have been brought about his ears by the shock. The tug informed me that, under the Merchant Shipping Act, 1901, its liability was limited to £8 a ton. I think there must be a great many things of that kind in Acts passed before 1914 that have not been amended since. I submit to Her Majesty's Government that these cases should be looked into and examined, but, with those words and with your Lordships' permission, I will not move my Amendment.
§ Clause 1 agreed to.
§ Remaining clause agreed to.
§ Bill reported without amendment.