HC Deb 04 November 1947 vol 443 cc1783-4

Motion made, and Question proposed, That the Amendment to Standing Orders, and new Standing Orders, relating to Public Business, hereinafter stated in the Schedule, be made.

SCHEDULE

Standing Order No. 93, line 4, leave out from the first "the," to "shall" in line 5, and insert "Votes and Proceedings Office."

After Standing Order No. 93, insert new Standing Order (Presentation of statutory instruments),—

Where, under any Act of Parliament, a statutory instrument is required to be laid before Parliament, or before this House, the delivery of a copy of such instrument to the Votes and Proceedings Office on any day during the existence of a Parliament shall be deemed to be for all purposes the laying of it before the House.

After the last new Standing Order, insert new Standing Order (Notification),—

When any communication has been received by Mr. Speaker, drawing attention to the fact that copies of any statutory instruments have yet to be laid before Parliament, and explaining why such copies have not been so laid before the instrument came into operation, Mr. Speaker shall thereupon lay such communication upon the Table of the House.—[Mr. H. Morrison.]

3.58 a.m.

Sir J. Mellor

Could we have an explanation why the Votes and Proceedings Office is being substituted for the Librarian of the House of Commons as the depository of copies of Statutory Instruments?

The Solicitor-General

The first Amendment is simply to bring into line with what we propose with regard to Statutory Instruments the present practice with regard to presenting Command Papers as laid down by Standing Order No. 93. As the hon. Gentleman will have noticed, the object of this new schedule is twofold: first, to provide a channel of communication between the Speaker and the scrutiny committee that we promised to provide, and secondly, to enable Statutory Instruments to be laid when the House is not sitting. The object of the Amendment to Standing Order No. 93 is to bring it into line with that. Both will be presented to the Votes and Proceedings Office in order that there shall be uniformity in the procedure.

Mr. Butcher

While I thank the hon. and learned Gentleman for his explanation, can he give us an assurance that for the convenience of Members duplicate copies will be made available in the library?

The Solicitor-General

We will consider what the hon. Gentleman says and bear in mind what he suggests.