§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Lord Amulree.)
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, may I say one word on this Bill? I want to thank the noble Lord, Lord Amulree, for fathering this little social measure. I must confess that when I saw this ugly little thing on the first occasion I thought it might abort, and I am only too glad to have come forward as a kind of foster-mother to try to resuscitate it. I think the noble Lord should realise that this measure, when it is in operation, will be used in all kinds of poignant, human problems. I just want to thank him for so graciously and gallantly accepting so many of the Amendments that I suggested.
It was suggested by my noble friend Lord Silkin that perhaps the House was 1334 out of order in amending the Bill in this way and for the Government lot to take it right back. But on occasions of this kind I think that human beings who understand the problem under discussion should not be concerned with procedural difficulties but should go forward and try to make, so far as they can, a Bill which, when it comes on to the Statute Book, will be useful to many courts of law and will, I hope, help ameliorate certain of these very tragic human cases.
§ LORD AMULREEMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Baroness for her kinds words about this Bill. I am sure that when it reaches the Statute Book it will do a certain amount of good. It does not pretend to be a very important Bill, but it does put right a certain amount that might go wrong. I should like to thank the noble Lady for her kind words to me.
§ On Question, Bill read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
§ House adjourned at seven minutes past eight o'clock.