HL Deb 25 February 1960 vol 221 cc403-4

3.40 p.m.

Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.

LORD GREENHILL

My Lords, this is a Private Member's Bill, promoted by my honourable friend Mr. Manuel, Member of Parliament for Central Ayrshire, who has asked me to move the Second Reading of the Bill in your Lordships' House. The Bill has already passed through its several stages in another place without amendment and is now before your Lordships for your consideration and, I hope, approval. It is a simple measure. It seeks merely to amend a section in the Act of 1870, which was amended in 1924, and on similar lines and for similar reasons. As your Lordships may know, in the spirit of the law in Scotland a debtor is not deprived of all his income if he finds himself in difficulties but is permitted to retain sufficient for his elementary needs in order to be able to live during his period of difficulty. The Act of 1870 limited that amount to 20s. In 1924, the amount was increased to 35s., at which figure it stands to-day. What this Bill seeks to do is further to increase the figure of 35s. to £4 a week plus one half of any surplus above £4 that the debtor may earn.

That is all that is in the Bill. It has received the approval of another place and the approval and blessing there of the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland. I hope and pray that, without further explanation, the noble Lord who is Minister of State for the Scottish Office will likewise give his approval to the Bill. I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Greenhill.)

THE MINISTER OF STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (LORD CRAIGTON)

My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord, Lord Greenhill, that his is not a voice in the wilderness. The Bill is welcome, and we have to thank both the noble Lord for introducing it in your Lordships' House and the honourable Member in another place for initiating the Bill. As the noble Lord has said, if 20s. was right in 1870 and 35s. was right in 1924, it is in tune with the times that, on the advice of the McKechnie Report, it should be raised to £4 plus half any excess. I hope that your Lordships will approve of the Bill.

On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.