COMMONS AMENDMENTS (Hansard, 30 July 1953)

§ LORD MANCROFT

My Lords, as the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor has indicated, these two Amendments follow one another. The maximum fines on summary conviction in the Act of 1887 were £20 for the first offence and £50 for the second or any subsequent offence. Clause 4 of this Bill, as it was introduced into your Lordships' House, provided for these figures to be increased to £50 for the first offence and £100 for a second or any subsequent offence.

One or two of your Lordships, in particular, I think, my noble friend Lord Balfour of Inchrye, thought that these were not high enough. But no Amendment was actually moved in your Lordships' House. As amended by the Committee of another place, the Bill now provides for these figures to be increased to £100 for the first offence and £250 for the second or any subsequent offence. The general feeling in another place was that the figures of £50 and £100 did not reflect adequately the fall in the value of money since the year 1887, and that the increase to £100 and £250 was moderate and provided a sufficient deterrent. I think that those feelings reflected the sentiments which were expressed on Second Reading and at the Committee stage in your Lordships' House, and I therefore hope that these Amendments will also find favour. I beg to move.