HL Deb 22 January 1985 vol 459 cc180-1

7.30 p.m.

Lord Walston

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now resolve itself into Committee on this Bill.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Walston.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly.

[THE EARL OF CATHCART in the Chair.]

Clauses 1 to 3 agreed to.

Clause 4 [Saving for section 12 of Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971 and sections 511 and 512 of Merchant Shipping Act 1894]:

Lord Brabazon of Tara moved Amendment No. 1: Page 3, line 30, leave out from ("1971") to ("; and") in line 32.

The noble Lord said: With the leave of the Committee, I should also like to speak to Amendment No. 2.

Amendment No. 2: Page 3, line 38, leave out from ("1894") to ("; and") in line 40.

The amendment to subsection (1) is necessary to correct a slight inaccuracy. The subsection contains a saving for the Secretary of State's powers under Section 12 of the Prevention of Oil Pollution Act 1971. Those powers are described as being concerned with oil pollution only, while in fact they have since been extended by a statutory instrument to other polluting substances also. The simplest way to put the matter right is to delete the description of the powers. Strictly speaking the description is not necessary.

The amendment to subsection (2) also deletes a description of powers, which in this case are held by receivers of wreck and which again are being saved by the subsection. This deletion has no legal effect and is being made simply to secure consistency of style between the two subsections. If the powers saved by subsection (1) are not to be described, it is considered that those saved by subsection (2) should also not be. I beg to move.

Lord Walston

I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Brabazon of Tara, for both these amendments. As he said, they are minor ones. They do not in any way alter the substance of the Bill. They simply clarify one or two points and correct one minor inaccuracy which was in the original Bill. I am sure that the Bill will be improved if your Lordships' Committee accept both amendments.

On Question, amendment agreed to.

Lord Brabazon of Tara moved Amendment No. 2:

[Printed above.]

On Question, amendment agreed to.

Clause 4, as amended, agreed to.

Remaining clauses agreed to.

House resumed: Bill reported with amendments.

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn during pleasure until half-past eight.

Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

[The Sitting was suspended from 7.34 until 8.30 p.m.]