PRIVATE BILL STANDING ORDERS (Hansard, 26 October 1967)

§ THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF LISTOWEL)

My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper, That the Standing Orders relating to Private Bills be amended. I think I should say a few words by way of explanation of the Amendments I am proposing to Private Bill Standing Orders this afternoon. The majority of these Amendments, as will be seen on the Marshalled List, are to take account of the transfer of functions between various Ministries and the resulting changes of nomenclature for Government Departments at which, of course, copies of Private Bills and supporting documents are required by our Standing Orders to be deposited. Amendment No. 8 is something different; this is to leave out Standing Order 133 which was regarded as necessary when there were a large number of railway Bills. It is now considered to be out of date. There is no corresponding Standing Order relating to other works, such as dock works and water works, and there appears to be no reason now to single out railways or tramways for this treatment.

Amendments Nos. 9 and 10 are consequential on the passing of the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Act 1965. No. 10 provides for the extension of petitioning time under our Standing Orders from 14 to 21 days, in accordance with the provisions of this Act. I may add that similar Amendments to Private Bill Standing Orders were agreed to yesterday in another place. To save the time of the House I should like to move these Amendments en bloc, and therefore, with your Lordships' permis- 1778 sion I will move that the Amendments set out on the Martialled List be agreed to.