§
Motion made, and Question proposed,
That for the remainder of this Session Standing Order No. 69 shall have effect as if at the end thereof there were added 'and any resolution come to by such Committee may.
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with the general Agreement of the House, be reported forthwith.""—[Mr. Herbert Morrison.]
§ Captain CrookshankThe Lord President mentioned this in his opening remarks. I think that for purposes of record we should have in HANSARD when we are making new Sessional Orders a statement from the Government about them.
§ 8.45p.m.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI will be frank with the House, and say that I had assumed there would be no trouble about this Motion. I thought it would be all right, and I am not quite ready to explain it. I hope the right hon. and gallant Member for Gainsborough (Captain Crookshank) will forgive me. On the other hand, if he insists that he must have an explanation, and if he will give his interpretation of the Motion, I will give him the authoritative version afterwards.
§ 8.46p.m.
§ Captain CrookshankI speak by leave of the House. I think this situation is very regrettable, because we are changing a Sessional Order, and, after all, hon. Members are entitled to be able to look up HANSARD and see what has happened, and what it is all about. I am sorry the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House should have found himself in some difficulty. If he will look at Standing Order No. 69, he will find that there has to be a period of time between the passing of the Money Resolution in Committee and the House discussing it on Report. No doubt the right hon. Gentleman will correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that what this Motion does is to say that there need not be a gap, and that the Resolution can be reported, with the general agreement of the House, forthwith after the end of the Committee stage. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will now confirm whether I am right—which I hope to be the case—or will, for the benefit of hon. Members who are not here, and who have not had time to study this matter, give the House a full, lucid, and perfect explanation.
§ 8.47 p.m.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonHaving refreshed my memory, I find that, as I would have expected, the right hon. and gallant Gentleman's interpretation is right. This Motion deals with Financial Resolutions, and according to things as they are, the Report 1132 stage cannot follow the Committe stage on the same day, but must come at a later stage. This Motion would enable the Report stage to follow the Committee stage on the same day. I understand that is what the right hon. and gallant Gentleman said, and I am happy to be able to confirm that he is a wise, sound and judicial interpreter of the meaning of Standing Orders.
§
Resolved:
That for the remainder of this Session Standing Order No. 69 shall have effect as if at the end thereof there were added 'and any resolution come to by such Committee may, with the general Agreement of the House, be reported forthwith'.