COMMONS AMENDMENT (Hansard, 12 April 1973)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, I rise to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 6, with which is associated Amendments Nos. 7, 8, 9 and 10. They are all Government Amendments and all relate to the date of commencement of various provisions of the Bill. If I may enumerate their effects they are these. Clause 6 and Schedule 2, which relate to the jurisdiction of the county courts, are consequential on the revaluation of property for rating which came into effect on April 1. Those clauses will come into operation on Royal Assent. The change in the wording of the Bill is necessary because the Bill has not received the Royal Assent before April 1.

The two new clauses, Amendments Nos. 4 and 5, which we have just dealt with, will come into operation a month after the Royal Assent. The new clause which is contained in Amendments Nos. 2 and 14 relating to the pensions of widows and children of the Judiciary will come into operation on a date to be appointed by Statutory Instrument. The new clause will require regulations to be made, as I told the House, before it can become effective, and I am afraid that inevitably these will be complex. It is not possible to say exactly when they will be made. However, the new clause will apply to any judge in office after the Royal Assent, and so the pension position of any person in office at that time will not be prejudiced by his retirement or death between Royal Assent and the coming into operation of the new clause. Not only is that a humanitarian 804 provision but also it is intended to prevent people from hanging on in order to get a higher rate of pension. My Lords, I beg to move.