§ Mr. KellyI desire, Mr. Speaker, to raise a point of Order with regard to an incident at the close of yesterday's sitting. When the Order regarding the Inheritance (Family Provision) Bill was read, objection was taken, and the hon. and gallant Member for Louth (Lieut.-Colonel Heneage) moved that it come up again on 24th July. The hon. and gallant Member is opposed to the whole Bill. The promoters of the Bill were not present at the time, and those of us who desire that the House should not be made ridiculous by a Bill being put down for Saturday, 24th July, which would mean killing the Bill, were unable to raise the point until it was too late for you to allow us to have the matter put on a reasonable basis. May I ask you now, Sir, whether anything can be done so that this Bill may have an opportunity of being considered by the House, instead of being put down for a Saturday when the House will not be meeting, and for a date which will be near the end of the Session?
§ Mr. SpeakerI think the hon. Member will readily understand that it is almost impossible, when private Members' Bills are being read out and dates are named, for me to know whether such dates are named by the promoters or by opponents of a Bill. I should like to say, however, that I distinctly deprecate the use of that 277 method of killing a Bill by any opponent of it. It is quite contrary to the established usage of the House, and is never done without protest from the Speaker. With regard to the specific point which the hon. Member raises, as to putting the matter right, it occurs to me that the proper procedure would be for the Government to give time for the hon. Member for Central Hull (Mr. Windsor), who, I think, is in charge of the Bill, to move a Resolution cancelling the Order that the Bill be considered on 24th July, and putting it down for an earlier date.
§ Mr. Garro JonesFurther to the point of Order. Could you indicate whether the nomination of a date by an opponent of a Bill is not a futile proceeding, owing to the fact that, if the promoters fail to nominate a date, that is tantamount to the abandonment of the Bill and it is struck off the Order Paper?
§ Mr. SpeakerI do not think that that necessarily follows.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Captain Margesson)In view of what has been said from the Chair this afternoon, the Government will give an opportunity for such a Motion.