HC Deb 21 June 1944 vol 401 cc310-1

Ordered: That a Select Committee be appointed to consider every Statutory Rule or Order (including any Provisional Rule made under Section 2 of the Rules Publication Act, 1893) laid or laid in draft before the House, being a Rule, Order, or Draft upon which proceedings may be taken in either House in pursuance of any Act of Parliament, with a view to determining whether the special attention of the House should be drawn to it on any of the following grounds:—

  1. (i) that it imposes a charge on the public revenues or contains provisions requiring payment to be made to the Exchequer or any Government Department or to any local or public authority in consideration of any licence or consent, or of any services to be rendered, or prescribes the amount of any such charge or payments:
  2. (ii) that it is made in pursuance of an enactment containing specific provisions excluding it from challenge in the courts, either at all times or after the expiration of a specified period:
  3. (iii) that it appears to make some unusual or unexpected use of the powers conferred by the Statute under which it is made:
  4. (iv) that there appears to have been unjustifiable delay in the publication of it:
  5. (v) that for any special reason, its form or purport calls for elucidation."

Committee nominated of Captain Crowder, Mr. Denman, Mr. Owen Evans, Mr. Fraser, Sir Herbert Holdsworth, Mr. Moelwyn Hughes, Colonel Sir Charles MacAndrew, Mr. Molson, Mr. Petherick, Mr. Ellis Smith and Mr. E. P. Smith.

Ordered: That the Committee shall have the assistance of the Counsel to Mr. Speaker.

Ordered: That the Committee have power to sit notwithstanding any Adjournment of the House, and to report from time to time.

Ordered: That the Committee have power to require any Government Department concerned to submit a memorandum explaining any Rule, Order, or Draft which may be under their consideration or to depute a representative to appear before them as a Witness for the purpose of explaining any such Rule, Order, or Draft.

Ordered: That Five be the quorum.

Ordered: That it be an Instruction to the Committee that before reporting that the special attention of the House should be drawn to any Rule, Order, or Draft the Committee do afford to any Government Department concerned therewith an opportunity of furnishing orally or in writing such explanations as the Department think fit."—[Mr. Herbert Morrison.]