I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. As Deputies are aware this Bill is an annual one. The Acts specified in Parts I and II of the Schedule are due to expire in the normal course on the 31st December next, and it will be necessary to have the Bill enacted before the end of the present calendar year.
It is proposed to continue in operation for another year all the enactments which were continued in force by the Expiring Laws Bill, 1946. The position in regard to the replacement of the measures on the Schedule by permanent legislation is set out in the Explanatory Memorandum which has been circulated to Deputies.
As will be apparent, each of these Acts with the exception of the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1925, is portion of a code scattered through many statutes and their replacement by permanent legislation must necessarily from part of the wider work of consolidation of the various statutes relating to electoral law, housing, sanitary services, or borrowing by local authorities as the case may be. The House may rest assured, however, that no avoidable delay will be suffered in presenting proposals for permanent legislation to replace the enactments now appearing on the Schedule.
The Combined Purchasing Act, 1925, will be replaced by the Combined Purchasing Act, 1939, when the time becomes opportune to bring the latter Act into operation.