Mr James Reid: I am a little surprised that the Secretary of State should say that there would be no saving by having only one register per year. I believe I am right in saying that at one stage between the wars—I am not sure whether it was under the Geddes Axe—the second register was done away with as a measure of economy. If that is so I find that action a little difficult to reconcile with the view...
Mr James Reid: Is the local authority to make any decision, or is it merely to sift the cases and send on to the right hon. Gentleman those cases in which it thinks action may be required?
Mr James Reid: But who makes the decision?
Mr James Reid: While one quite sees the force of the point which has been made by the right hon. Gentleman, will it not frequently mean duplication of proxies? As the right hon. Gentleman says, it is quite open to the Service voter to appoint somebody in some other constituency, some other local government area, as his proxy for a national election. Very likely he will do that, because that one happens to...
Mr James Reid: There is one point on Subsection (2) of the Clause to which I should like to direct the right hon. Gentleman's attention. That is the use of poll cards to which we all agree. I think that we all agree that some sanction is necessary to make certain that this does not produce abuses. The words are fairly wide—that no person is to issue a document so closely resembling an official poll card...
Mr James Reid: I beg to move, in page 38, line 35, to leave out from "agent," to the end of line 42.
Mr James Reid: These Amendments cover practically the same point. I rise in order to get a little further clarification. I am not yet quite clear why these words should not be left out. It seems that these words are simply a challenge to the ingenuity of election agents to find some way of getting on with what they think is their job without infringing these words. What would obviously be the cleanest way...
Mr James Reid: I cannot say that I am wholly satisfied, but, on the other hand, this is a matter of form rather than substance, and, therefore, I do not think it is necessary to pursue the matter further. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
Mr James Reid: There is undoubtedly this difficulty about advertisements because, as the right hon. Gentleman has said, a favourable newspaper may publish precisely the same announcement without charging for it and, indeed, in the form of an advertisement. Are we to take it that this means that if a newspaper chooses to publish anything emanating from a candidate it can incur as much expense as it likes if...
Mr James Reid: Has any considerable quantity of cereals gone from Roumania to any other country, or has the right hon. Gentleman no information about Roumanian trade?
Mr James Reid: How many of these 900,000 lost books were found and were returned to the Department?
Mr James Reid: The right hon. Gentleman will get it.
Mr James Reid: Will the right hon. Gentleman recollect that there are, standing on the Order Paper, two Government Motions that relate to new Standing Orders for Scottish Business. They have been there since January. Is there any immediate prospect of their being taken, in order that advantage may be taken of them this year?
Mr James Reid: Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this matter was under consideration during the war, and has no progress been made in the last two and a half years?
Mr James Reid: I am rather disturbed about what the Attorney-General has said with regard to the Control Commission. Obviously, that is highly relevant here because, as I understand from him, there is already a distinction between those under military law and those who are not under military law. That distinction is in favour of those who are not under military law. The effect of this Clause will be greatly...
Mr James Reid: The Secretary of State for War shakes his head, but I understand from the Attorney-General that if a civilian employee of the Control Commission reaches this country before he is found out, nothing can be done about it. The Attorney-General was perfectly clear on that point. If we are to accept this Clause, it is necessary, and plain justice, that there should be another Bill to clear up the...
Mr James Reid: Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this use of emergency powers is quite different from what was contemplated when those powers were granted and that this policy may well be followed by challenge in the courts? Was he not further made aware that right hon. and hon. Members in all parts of the House, including those sitting on these benches, were prepared to accept legislation on the lines...
Mr James Reid: This is side-tracking the House of Commons.
Mr James Reid: I understood the right hon. Gentleman to say that we were buying foodstuffs wherever available. Did he not read the statement made in this House by the Minister of Food that he deliberately refrained from buying feedingstuffs which are available in the Argentine?
Mr James Reid: I was only seeking accuracy from the right hon. Gentleman.
