NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (SCOTLAND) BILL (Hansard, 21 April 1947)

HC Deb 21 April 1947 vol 436 cc619-778 619

§ Order for Consideration, as amended (in the Standing Committee), read.

§ 3.40 p.m.

§ The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Westwood)
I beg to move, That the Bill be recommitted to a Committee of the whole House in respect of the Amendments in Clause 5, page 4, line 5; Clause 22, page 22, line 4; Clause 22, page 22, line 14; Clause 29, page 24, line 7; Clause 64. page 52, line 25; Clause 79, page 59, line 40; of the New Clauses [Power of local health authorities regarding research] and [Power of local health authority to contribute to expenditure on co-ordination of services]; and of the Amendments in Schedule 11, page 78, line 16; Schedule 11, page 80, line 31, and Schedule 11, page 83, line 3, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Secretary Westwood. This recommittal Motion is necessary because the Amendments referred to in it involve, or may involve, an additional charge either on the Exchequer or on certain local ratepayers.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Moore (Ayr Burghs)
On a point of Order. Is not this procedure somewhat unusual? We are being asked to recommit these various Clauses, and to make what are perhaps fundamental changes in the Bill as at present printed, and then to give the Bill its Third Reading. Is this in accordance with the normal procedure?

§ Mr. Speaker
It is quite a normal procedure, particularly as the Amendments involve possible financial charges, otherwise they would have been out of Order. It is perhaps unfortunate that they were 620 not thought of before, but that is the position. Without recommitting the Bill, we cannot make these Amendments.

§ Captain Crookshank (Gainsborough)
Is it not unusual that new Amendments, involving charges, should be taken on the same day as that on which we are being asked to complete our consideration of the Bill and give our decision upon its Third Reading? After all, the Bill has not been brought in at very short notice, and we can only conclude that these omissions are the result of inadequate discussions on the part of the Government with the Parliamentary draftsmen.

§ Bill immediately considered in Committee.

§ [Mr. HUBERT BEAUMONT in the Chair]

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