§ The CHAIRMAN of WAYS and MEANS (Sir Dennis Herbert)I beg to move,
"That a copy be ordered of the Report of a Committee appointed by the 'Chairman of Ways and Means to consider common form Clauses included in certain recent Private Bills."
The House will remember that I gave an undertaking some time ago to set up a Committee to consider Clauses included in recent Private Bills as Clauses in common form, to which objection had been taken, with a view to forming an opinion whether such Clauses are necessary or expedient or to what extent they go further than is requisite. If the House passes the Motion for the Report, the result will be that the Report will be printed and will be available in the Vote Office for hon. Members. It will also be on sale and available for all who are interested in Private Bill legislation.
In moving the Motion I ought to express my thanks, and I feel sure the thanks of the House, for the very hard work which was done by the Committee, and for the very satisfactory Report. 1692 The Committee was presided over by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Chairman, and the other members were the right hon. Baronet the Member for Down (Sir David Reid); the hon. Member for South Croydon (Mr. H. G. Williams); Sir Harry Pritchard, the chairman of the Parliamentary agents; Colonel Cox (Parliamentary Agent) and Dr. Newnham, Town Clerk of Croydon, representing the local Corporations and Sir Frederick Liddell, Counsel to Mr. Speaker. They have held many sittings and done very hard work, dealing with over 200 Clauses, work which I hope will have the effect, among other things, of relieving the House from spending a great deal of time in Debates on Private Bills.
§ Question put, and agreed to.