Committee

Mr Speaker: Committee stage, what day?

Mr Butterfield: Now, Sir. Sir, I move,

That the Assembly do resolve itself into Committee on the Bill.

Mr Chew Swee Kee: I second it.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2-

Mr Butterfield: Sir, I have an amendment to move to clause 2. Would you like me, Sir, to give it to you now before indicating its nature or shall I first indicate it?

The Chairman: As the hon. Member pleases.

Mr Butterfield: What I wish to move in respect of clause 2, Sir, is the deletion of paragraph (d).

The effect of that amendment will be to allow a search warrant issued under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance to be executed by any police officer no matter what his rank. A further consideration suggests, Sir, that the existing law which provides that such warrants may not be executed by a police officer below the rank of Sergeant, should be retained.

I have accordingly, Sir, to move the deletion of paragraph (d) and a number of consequential amendments. May I now hand in, Sir, the amendment which I propose to move?

The Chairman indicated assent.

Amendment handed in.

The Chairman: Will the hon. Member formally move the amendments in the order in which I have indicated?

Mr Butterfield: Sir, in relation to clause 2, firstly, I move,

At page 1, line 14, after the semi-colon, to add the word "and",

secondly,

At page 1, line 18, to leave out the semicolon and the word "and" and insert a full stop,

and thirdly,

At page 2, lines 1 to 3, to leave out paragraph (d).

Question, "That the word 'and' proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the semi-colon and the word 'and' proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That the full stop proposed to be inserted, be there inserted," put, and agreed to.

Question, "That paragraph (d) proposed to be left out, be left out," put, and agreed to.

Clause, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 3 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Mr Butterfield: Sir, I move, "That the Bill be reported to the Assembly."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill reported, with Amendments.

Third Reading

Mr Speaker: Third Reading, what day?

Mr Butterfield: Now, Sir. I beg to move, "That the Bill, as amended, be now read the Third time."

Mr Chew Swee Kee: I second it.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill, as amended, accordingly read the Third time.