CLAUSE I.—(Use of the Co-operative name.) (Hansard, 27 June 1924)

§ Mr. BARNES
I beg to move, in page 1 line 18, after the word "cent.", to insert the word "cumulative."
This was an undertaking given to the Committee.

§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. A. V. Alexander
): I beg to second the Amendment.

§ Viscount WOLMER
I beg to move, "That the Debate be now adjourned."
This Bill, I think, passed through Committee yesterday, and, so far as I know, did not appear in its amended form in the Vote Office till this morning. I really do think it is an abuse of the forms of the House that we should be asked to consider a Measure of this importance on Report without having had any opportunity either to consider it adequately or to make such amendments as hon. Members may deem to be necessary. I do not know whether this is a good Bill or not. I believe it is a very good Bill, or, at any rate, it is like the curate's egg—parts of it are excellent.

§ Mr. BARNES
Will the Noble Lord allow me to make a statement? If he per- 900 sists in his objection, I will fall in with the point put up, but may I explain that this Bill went through the House on Second Reading unanimously? We obtained the Bill in the Standing Committee in one hour. There was no substantial objection, and it is because of that and because of the general unanimity with regard to it that we ask that we may be allowed to get the Bill to-day.

§ Viscount WOLMER
What the hon. Gentleman says makes it all the more important that we should have time to consider this Bill before it passes its final stages. It appears that the Bill, which has been passed through with the rapidity that the hon. Member has stated, may very likely contain very important imperfections which can only be found out if the matter is adequately considered. I think when the hon. Member has been in the House a few years he will realise how very easy it is for this House to enact things, which it never intended, through mere inadvertence. There is no report of the proceedings in Standing Committee C on this Bill. I made inquiry for a report of the proceedings, and, apparently, no shorthand note was taken. Therefore, it is quite impossible for hon. Members who had not the privilege of being on that Committee to know what was said there, and it is of the utmost importance that we should have time to study this Bill and to table any Amendments we might care to raise. After all, the co-operative movement is a movement of the very greatest importance. It is a movement which I desire to encourage very much.