§ The Earl of MANSFIELDMy Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(The Earl of Mansfield.)
§ Lord BOSTON of FAVERSHAMMy Lords, I intervene only briefly to say a word or two on behalf of my noble and learned friend Lord McCluskey. I must confess that I cannot claim any expertise in Scottish law. I do not say that this is a virtue, but it enables me to respond all the more easily to the very appropriate appeal for brevity which was made a few minutes ago by the noble Lord, Lord Denham.
As the noble Earl, Lord Mansfield, and the noble and learned Lord the Lord Advocate will know, on the last occasion upon which this Bill was before your Lordships my noble and learned friend Lord McCluskey offered his apologies because he knew then that it would not be possible for him to be here this afternoon. I tender his apologies again this afternoon.
I know, however, that he would wish me not to let this moment pass without saying a very warm word of thanks to both Ministers concerned with the Bill for making amendments to the Bill and also for making, in earlier stages of the Bill, statements of intent in order to meet some of the points made by my noble and learned friend. He is very grateful for that. I know that he would also wish me to wish the new system of release on conditions, replacing money bail, every success.
§ The Earl of MANSFIELDMy Lords, it would be churlish of me not to thank the noble Lord for his kind remarks. His noble and learned friend used approximately the same words at the end of the Report stage of the Bill and I could not think then of a way of reciprocating. However, I would ask the noble Lord to pass on to him the thanks of my noble and learned friend and myself for the constructive way in which he approached the Bill when it was before your Lordships' House.
On Question, Bill read 3a, with the amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.