§ Sir C. MacAndrewasked the President of the Board of Trade why his Department does not embody short titles on all Statutory Rules and Orders, as recommended by the Select Committee on Statutory Rules and Orders on two occasions and also by Treasury Circular; and if he will give instructions that short titles be used on all Statutory Rules and Orders.
§ Sir S. CrippsThe purpose of a short title to any instrument is to facilitate reference to that instrument in some other instrument, and it has always been the practice of the Board of Trade to include a short title in all instruments to which it appeared likely that such a reference would be necessary. The exceptions were mainly instruments merely revoking other instruments and licences, for example, under the Clothing Rationing Orders and the Export of Goods Orders. In these cases it was possible to give more useful information about the scope of the instrument in the long title at the head of it than would be possible in a short title, e.g.,
General licence in respect of the supply of Rationed Goods in connection with the manufacture of fur apparel on commission.474W In view, however, of the recommendations of the Select Committee on Statutory Rules and Orders, I am giving instructions that short titles be included in all Statutory Rules and Orders, and that such titles should be as "short" as is reasonably possible.