HL Deb 28 October 1997 vol 582 c980

Read a third time.

Clause 5 [Short title, commencement and extent]:

The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg) moved the amendment: Page 3, line 18, leave out ("Section I extends") and insert ("Sections I and 3 extend").

The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords, this a minor consequential amendment, resulting from an omission in the drafting, to the amendment moved at Committee stage. It simply ensures that the references in Clause 5 to the other clauses in the Bill are correctly and fully identified. I beg to move.

On Question, amendment agreed to.

The Lord Chancellor

My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.

Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

Lord Mishcon

My Lords, this is a useful little Bill. I am sure noble Lords will agree that anything that achieves the result of making justice quicker and cheaper and administration more efficient will be welcome to this House.

I believe that this is the first Bill that my noble and learned friend has piloted through the House. Something tells me that in future he may be faced with a rather more difficult job of piloting than on this occasion. I am sure that those who participated in the debates in the course of the Bill would wish to join me in paying tribute to the courtesy and patience which he has shown.

The Lord Chancellor

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Mishcon is characteristically generous. His own long contribution to the cause of the reform of the law is well known. This is indeed my first Bill. I believe that it is accurate to predict that it will not be my last and it certainly will not be the most difficult.

It is a small Bill, but important in its way. It makes small incremental improvements which, added to future small incremental improvements, will bring substantial benefits in the long run.

The commendably economic progress of this small law-reforming Bill has been a model. I am grateful to all noble Lords who contributed so supportively. The end result is the Bill that we are about to pass.

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

Back to