§ 48. Captain BOWYERasked the Prime Minister whether he will give facilities for the Second Reading of the Bastardy Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government do not propose to grant special facilities for this Bill.
§ Captain BOWYERIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this Bill would have a good chance of passing were it not blocked from the Treasury Bench, and will he do his best to remove that block
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am afraid that I cannot give an affirmative answer to that question. I should say that my answer is applicable only to the present. The question may be reconsidered later, but there is no prospect of making time in the present state of public business for a Private Member's Bill.
§ Captain BOWYERDoes the Prime Minister realise that all I am asking for is to get the Second Reading in order that the matter may be fully debated—it is an agreed Measure—in Committee and on the Floor of the House on Report?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI quite realise that. I think, however, in the case of a very important Bill of this kind there should be a full Debate on the Second Reading.