§ [No. 4.]
§ Clause 9, page 7, line 12, leave out "accident" and insert "any accident from which death has resulted".
§ Lord KIRKHILLMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 4. This is a purely drafting Amendment to avoid any misunderstanding of Clause 9. It makes no difference to the effect of the Bill. Clause 9 as previously drafted was technically correct. Its effect was to extend the meaning of the expressions "death occurring in Scotland" and "accident occurring in Scotland", used in Clause 1 of the Bill, to include, in appropriate circumstances, deaths and accidents occurring on the Continental Shelf.
Both noble Lords in this House and honourable Members in another place have, however, during the passage of this Bill, expressed concern that Clause 9 might require inquiries to be held into accidents occurring on the Continental Shelf even when no death has resulted from them. There is no substance in these fears. I hasten to assure your Lordships. However, to avoid such misunderstanding it appeared desirable to the Government to amend Clause 9 to make it quite clear on the face of it that the accidents referred to are accidents from which death has resulted. I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 4.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Kirkhill.)
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, we are grateful to the Government for having made this Amendment. Indeed, it was my friend Lord Selkirk who first pointed out this matter, and I joined him in suggesting that clarification was needed because otherwise there would be doubt in this important section of the Bill, which extends the system to the Continental Shelf.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.