NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE (AMENDMENT) BILL (Hansard, 19 October 1949)

HC Deb 19 October 1949 vol 468 cc563-724 563

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

§ Motion made, and Question proposed, That the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the Whole House in respect of the Amendments to the Schedule, page 22, line 9, and the Schedule, page 23, page 8, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Bevan, and in respect of the Amendment to the Schedule, page 26, line 21, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Woodburn."—[Mr. Aneurin Bevan.]

§ 3.47 p.m.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Elliot (Scottish Universities)
I beg to move, as an Amendment to the Motion, at the end to add: and in respect of the Amendments to the Schedule, page 22, line 4, and to the Schedule, page 26, line 16, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Lieut.-Colonel Elliot. I understand that my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Linstead) has a manuscript Amendment, which I trust Mr. Speaker will allow him to move, in view of the fact that this Motion is newly on the Order Paper.

§ Mr. Speaker
I think it would be better if the hon. Member moved his manuscript Amendment later on. I must first put to the House the Amendment moved by the right hon. and gallant Gentleman.

§ The Minister of Health (Mr. Aneurin Bevan)
I think it is very unusual that there should be a manuscript Amendment at this stage. I am prepared to accept the Amendment moved by the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, but without prejudice to my attitude on the manuscript Amendment. Of course, it is a matter for the Chair whether it accepts a manuscript Amendment in such circumstances, but it is a little hard for me, not having seen the manuscript Amendment, to be asked to accept that a manuscript Amendment may now be moved.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Elliot
It is only in order to allow a Clause with regard to the cost of conveyance of certain persons under Section 27 of the Act to be discussed. If the Minister will look at it, he will see that it raises the question of some charge falling upon certain local authorities. As he knows, it is impossible to impose a charge upon local 564 authorities upon the Report stage. There is no reason to suppose that we shall be in any way delayed in dealing with the Measure, and I trust very much that with expedition and a certain amount of accommodation on both sides we shall be able rapidly to dispose of this business.

§ Mr. Bevan
I understand there is some misunderstanding here. It is not, in fact, a manuscript Amendment at all; it is merely proposed to bring forward during this stage a new Clause with respect to the cost of conveyance. I am myself not able to understand why it is being brought forward; nevertheless, it has been brought forward, I understand, by the House authorities, and I am prepared to accept it. I accept the Amendment.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Elliot
If I may say so, the manuscript Amendment is a proposed Amendment to the Minister's Motion on recommittal, not a manuscript Amendment dealing with anything in the Bill; it is merely in order to bring the Clause within the scope of the Debate.

§ Amendment agreed to.

§ Mr. Linstead (Putney)
I beg to move, as an Amendment to the Motion at the end, to add: and in respect of the Clause (Cost of conveyance of certain persons under Section twenty-seven of Act), standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Basil Nield. I move this manuscript Amendment on behalf of my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Chester (Mr. Nield), who has been advised that it is technically necessary for the new Clause standing in his name to be recommitted, because it imposes a certain charge. For that reason, and with your permission, Mr. Speaker, I move this manuscript Amendment.

§ Mr. Howard (Westminster, St. George's)
I beg to second the Amendment.

§ Mr. Bevan
I should like to ask for your guidance here, Mr. Speaker. The Amendment which has been moved by the right hon. Gentleman I am prepared to accept. The manuscript Amendment has the effect of transferring to the Committee stage from the Report stage the Clause to which reference has been made. It is being moved, as I understand it, because the hon. Member has been told there are technical reasons why this 565 should be re-committed. I do not know what the technical reasons are, because this does not impose a charge but merely transfers a charge from one local authority to another. It is perfectly true that this is a grant-aided matter, but nevertheless the cost which one local authority pays, another local authority does not pay

§ Mr. Speaker
The fact that a local authority pays an additional charge takes the matter out of the Report stage.

§ Amendment agreed to.

§ Resolved: That the Bill be re-committed to a Committee of the whole House in respect of the Amendments to the Schedule, page 22, line 9, and the Schedule, page 23, line 8, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Bevan, and in respect of the Amendment to the Schedule, page 26, line 21, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Woodburn; in respect of the Amendments to the Schedule, page 22, line 4, and to the Schedule, page 26, line 16, standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Elliot; and in respect of the Clause (Cost of conveyance of certain persons under section twenty-seven of Act), standing on the Notice Paper in the name of Mr. Basil Nield.

§ Bill immediately considered in Committee.

§ [Mr. BOWLES in the Chair]

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