– in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 12 May 1947.
I beg to move, in page 46, line 17, to leave out Subsection (3).
This Amendment and the succeeding Amendment—to leave out Subsection (6)—arise in consequence of the proposed abolition of the 1939 standard. On the assumption that later Amendments will be carried abolishing that standard, these Subsections become both unnecessary and inapplicable.
I am glad to see the disappearance of Subsection (3) because it is indeed seldom, even in Acts of Parliament, that one meets words of such utterly and completely baffling obscurity. It is worth while reading to the Committee the words with which hon. Members are so reluctantly parting:
So much of Subsection (2) of Section twenty-four of the Act of 1944 as provides for the application of Section fifty-seven of that Act in relation to compensation for loss sustained by the extinction of any right or the vesting of any apparatus under the said Section twenty-four shall not apply arid shall be deemed never to have applied to compensation for loss so sustained otherwise than by the diminution in value of an interest in land.
I hope the Committee understands what that means, but I have never been able to understand it, and for that reason I am very glad to see the last of words which do not contribute to the clarity of our legislation.
I can understand the right hon. Gentleman's pleasure at parting with this Subsection because it was put in to correct an error in his own Act.