STATUTE LAW (REPEALS) BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 10 June 1974)

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD ELWYN-JONES)

My Lords, I understand that no Amendment has been set down to this Bill and that no noble Lord wishes to move a manuscript Amendment, or to speak to any clause or Schedule, and I therefore beg to move that the Order of Recommitment be discharged. Before the House is asked to decide on this Motion, I should inform the House that this is a Bill prepared by the Law Commissions to promote the reform of the Statute Law by repeal. That is being done in accordance with the recommendations of the Commissions in respect of certain enactments which, except in so far as their effect is preserved, are no longer of practical utility. The Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills sat on two occasions to consider this Bill and made three amendments to the Schedule to the Bill to correct printing errors. They were of the opinion that the remaining enactments proposed for repeal were obsolete, spent, unnecessary, superseded or no longer of practical utility, and in consequence they approved the repeal of those enactments.

I ought perhaps to remind the House that a Statute Law Repeal Bill was introduced in the last Session of Parliament 239 and fell owing to the Dissolution of Parliament. By then the Joint Committee had had one meeting to consider that Bill, and, as a result of that meeting and of the opinions expressed in the Committee, Part II of the Schedule to that Bill, which concerned the repeal of enactments relating to obsolete taxes, was, save one enactment, not included in the Bill which was re-introduced in the present Session. As I have said, this Bill was amended by the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills. I understand that no further Amendments have been set down to the Bill, and, as I have said, no noble Lord has indicated a wish to move a manuscript Amendment or to speak in Committee. Unless, therefore, any noble Lord objects, I beg to move that the Order of Recommitment be discharged.