HL Deb 23 July 1973 vol 344 c1544

[No. 12]

Clause 13, page 13, line 8, leave out "force" and insert "such force as is reasonable in the circumstances".

LORD DRUMALBYN

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 12. Your Lordships will recall the debate that we had on Clause 13(4) concerning acts of violence in relation to directions under the Bill and the provision that the subsection should not restrict the use of force by a constable or some other person in the exercise of his powers conferred in the Bill. Here again there was some criticism of the lack of any restriction on the amount or nature of the force to be used. The purpose of this Amendment is to limit the use of force to such force as is reasonable in the circumstances. I believe that this Amendment meets the criticism, and I commend it to your Lordships.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Drumalbyn.)