TRIBUNALS AND INQUIRIES BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 30 July 1958)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, in the case of this Bill there are some thirty-five Amendments, and again I think it may be convenient to your Lordships if I shortly explain what they are, in classes, and then suggest again that a few of them will require individual consideration. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 are consequential Amendments to the Title. Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10 permit the Council on Tribunals to consider general as well as particular matters. Nos. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22 23, 24 and 25 deal with Northern Ireland, and they do two things. First, they draw a distinction between the transferred subjects which are the duty and care of the Parliament at Stormont and the reserved subjects with which this Parliament deals; and secondly they bring in my noble and learned friend the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Lord MacDermott, to help, in regard to the tribunals with which Northern Ireland is concerned, in the same way as I do in this country and Lord Clyde does in Scotland.

493 Amendment No. 20 deals with the one tribunal, under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, that affects the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Amendment No. 26 deals with the special position of the Foreign Compensation Commission. Amendments Nos. 28, 29 and 30 clarify the definition of a statutory inquiry and, as a consequence of the clause on reasoned decisions, exclude executive decisions of bodies which have both executive and judicial functions. Amendment No. 31 takes account of the recent Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act which received the Royal Assent on the 23rd of this month. Amendments Nos. 32 and 33 are repeals consequential on the new clause about Income Tax Commissioners. Amendments Nos. 34 and 35 are repeals consequential on Clause 8 of the Bill, which gives a right of appeal on a point of law from all the compensation tribunals referred to in paragraph 3 of the First Schedule. That leaves, as those of your Lordships who are arithmeticians will no doubt have realised, Amendments Nos. 16, 17, 18 and 27. I suggest that the, other groups I have mentioned might be taken formally, and that I might limit my remarks to your Lordships on the new clauses contained in Amendments Nos. 16 and 27, and to some words on Amendments Nos. 17 and 18, which allow appeal to the House of Lords. Again, if any noble Lord wishes further information on those Amendments in the classified groups, I shall be very pleased to give them. I beg to move that the Commons Amendments be now considered.