Legislation to modernise the laws covering credit unions has passed a major hurdle.

On Tuesday, the House of Keys passed the Credit Unions (Amendment) Bill through its clauses stage, when the details of legislation come under close scrutiny.

A sense of urgency to progress the bill had led to the unusual step of the House of Keys holding a sitting between the December Tynwald and the end of the year - most years, members break earlier for Christmas.

The bill brings regulatory powers under the umbrella of the 2008 Financial Services Act.

It was only in January that the island’s first credit union, the Manx Credit Union, opened the doors to its January headquarters.

The bill brings credit unions into the Financial Services Authority’s existing regulatory framework.

It transfers provisions from legislation dating back to 1892, to be incorporated into the 1993 Credit Unions Act.

In addition, the bill will enable, ’but does not mandate’, the establishment of a credit union savings compensation scheme under the 2008 act.

As the bill went through the clauses stage without any opposition, Treasury department member Bill Shimmins (Middle) thanked staff at the Treasury and the FSA ’for all their hard work in pulling together this Bill which supports credit unions and their members now and in the future’.

The bill will still need to pass the third reading stage in the House of Keys, before it moves onto the Legislative Council for scrutiny.