HL Deb 27 October 1982 vol 435 c578

50 Schedule 8, page 61, line 1, leave out paragraph 9.

51 Schedule 8, page 61, line 29, leave out from 'Chancellor)' to 'paid' in line 31 and insert 'after the words "Lord Chancellor" there shall he added the words "or, if and so far as it is not so".'

52 Schedule 8, page 61, line 33, leave out from beginning to end of line 35 and insert— '11. In section 91 (orders for sale, grant of injunctions and appointment of receivers by the High Court and county courts)—

  1. (a) in subsection (1) for the word "or", in the third place where it occurs, there shall be substituted the word "and"; and
  2. (b) the following subsection shall be added after subsection (3)—'.

53 Page 63, line 18, leave out 'There shall he paid' and insert 'The Lord Chancellor shall pay'.

The Lord Chancellor

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 50 to 53 en bloc, and I will, with permission, speak also to Amendment Nos. 56 and 57. These are purely technical amendments to the provisions affecting Northern Ireland and I do not think I need explain them to greater effect than that, because they are consequential on the rest of the Bill.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said amendments.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

Lord Elwyn-Jones

I apologise, my Lords, because owing to other matters affecting one of the Inns of Court I was not able to attend earlier, which no doubt would have delayed rather than enhanced the proceedings. I rise merely to express concern about Amendment No. 53, which imposes some obligation on the Lord Chancellor. It says, "The Lord Chancellor shall pay"—I trust not out of his privy pocket or privy purse, but that some other provision is made. I find endearing the addition of the words or, if and so far as it is not so which adds some new quality to our legislation. Perhaps those two matters might be explained.

The Lord Chancellor

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord. I assure him that there will be no personal charge on this Lord Chancellor, though no doubt when we live in a more generous age other Lord Chancellors may be prepared to contribute to the Consolidated Fund in this way. The point about adding "or" and the words which he quoted is largely a question of perfectionism on the part of the parliamentary draftsmen.

On Question, Motion agreed to.