HC Deb 05 December 1949 vol 470 cc1621-3

Order read for consideration of Lords Amendments.

Motion made, and Question proposed "That the Lords Amendments be now considered."

7.45 p.m.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton (Brixton)

On a point of Order, Mr. Speaker. I wish to seek your Ruling on the following matter. When I sought to place what I thought was an Amendment on the Order Paper for discussion with the other Amendments from another place, I was denied the opportunity of doing so. My Amendment related to a ground for divorce. Although a similar Amendment was ruled out of Order on a previous occasion, it nevertheless appeared on the Order Paper.

Mr. Speaker

The hon. and gallant Member must not say what his Amendment is about. He can only complain that an Amendment which he wished to put in, was not allowed to be put on the Order Paper.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

In the light of your Ruling, Mr. Speaker, I do not propose to take up your time by arguing the relevance or otherwise at this stage of the Amendment which I sought to move by adding another new Clause to the three new Clauses and the six new subsections from another place. What I confess rather puzzled me was this; even assuming that my Amendment is now just as much out of Order as it was on a previous occasion, by what Ruling or Parliamentary convention should the Amendment have been allowed to appear on the Order Paper on a previous occasion but not on the present occasion?

Mr. Speaker

I quite realise that the hon. and gallant Member has done his best to get this Amendment on the Order Paper, but I am afraid it is impossible. He wishes to insert a new Clause. The Question which I shall put is that we consider the Lords Amendments. This is not a Lords Amendment. It is an Amendment which the hon. and gallant Member wishes to move, and we are not therefore empowered to put it on the Order Paper and consider it. I am afraid it would be starting quite a novel practice and I think an undesirable one too. If whenever one fails to get an Amendment on the Order Paper one put it down when Lords Amendments come up for consideration, it would be an undesirable practice on the whole, and I am afraid I must rule that the hon. and gallant Member cannot put his Amendment on the Order Paper.

Lords Amendments considered accordingly.

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