I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. Deputies who have been in the Houses for some years will be familiar with a Bill of this kind. It has been an annual Bill for some years, but the number of statutes embodied in it have been steadily diminishing. The House on this occasion will be troubled only with a Schedule which covers relatively few measures. In fact, the position may be summarised by saying that most of the portions of enactments which are included in this measures are scattered items in the whole code of local government in this country which still await codification of the local government law, which is a very desirable and very necessary step. It is a very big step, however, and I can only promise that it will be dealt with as rapidly as possible. Certain progress has been made in that direction already, but it will be some time before the permanent legislation that is necessary for codification and the subsequent legislation that is necessary will be ready. There is one exception to that position in this list, and that is the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1925. That Act makes provision for the purchase of commodities from contractors with a view to obtaining such commodities by the local authorities at the lowest possible price. Provision is made in the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1939, for the repeal of the 1925 Act, but it is not proposed to bring the 1939 Act into operation until manufactured articles and goods required by local bodies are in regular supply. I do not think that the measure calls for any further comment on my part.
Expiring Laws Bill, 1948—Second and Subsequent Stages.
Question put and agreed to.
Agreed to take the remaining stages now.
Bill put through Committee, reported without amendment, and passed.