§ Sir A. Evansasked the Attorney-General whether, in view of the large number of public and private contracts and legal agreements which lapse at the official ending of the war in Europe, he is now able to state what the position is and when an official declaration regarding this matter is likely to be announced; and in what form.
The Attorney-GeneralMy hon. and gallant Friend would, of course, agree that the object must be to give to the contracts and agreements to which he refers their proper meaning as intended by the parties. To fix a single meaning for a particular phrase for all cases might well conflict with this principle. The matter is at present under consideration and I should welcome any contributions which the hon. and gallant Member may care to make.
An Order in Council prescribing 9th May as the date of the end of the war and of hostilities as respects all the States in Europe for the purposes of certain tenancy agreements has already been made under Section 2 of the Validation of War-Time Leases Act, 1944, but tenancy agreements are a limited class of contracts to which special considerations apply.