HL Deb 23 February 1987 vol 485 cc64-5

6.58 p.m.

The Lord Advocate (Lord Cameron of Lochbroom)

My Lords, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen to acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purport of the Debtors (Scotland) Bill, has consented to place her prerogative and interest, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

Moved, That the Bill be now read a third time.—(Lord Cameron of Lochbroom.)

On Question, Bill read a third time.

An amendment (privilege) made.

Lord Cameron of Loch broom

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass. In doing so, I should like to express my gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Morton of Shuna and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Wilson of Langside, and their colleagues on the Benches opposite for the general welcome that they have given to this Bill. They have nevertheless given the Bill their most careful consideration. The amendments made to the Bill on Report were a tribute to the very useful debates we had during the Committee stage, when I was pleased to be able to accept the principle of certain amendments put down by the noble Lord, Lord Morton of Shuna, for which I am particularly indebted.

I should also like to thank my noble friends Lady Carnegy of Lour and Lord Sanderson of Bowden, the noble Lord, Lord Carmichael of Kelvingrove, and the noble and learned Lord, Lord Wilson of Langside, for their contributions to the debate during the Committee and Report Stages.

The noble Lord, Lord Morton, himself remarked during the debate in Committee that it made a pleasant change for a debate on a Scottish legal Bill to involve something more than a discussion between the respective Front Benches. I fully endorse that sentiment. While we have perhaps strayed at times into household realms involving refrigerators and champagne, it has nevertheless been a most important and much needed measure of law reform which we have had before us and which has been yet further improved by the consideration it has had given to it by noble Lords. I beg to move.

Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(Lord Cameron of. Lochbroom.)

Lord Morton of Shuna

My Lords, the Bill is a considerable improvement on the law as it was. I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord for what he said about such amendments as he was prepared to accept from me, but I have a great regret that he was not prepared to accept the debt arrangement scheme which the Law Commission had recommended. I have a feeling that the Bill is perhaps not as good as it might otherwise have been, but subject to that it is better than nothing and I give it a welcome.

On Question, Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.

The Earl of Dundee

My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn during pleasure until eight o'clock.

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

[The Sitting was suspended from 7.4 until 8 p.m.]