HC Deb 15 March 1950 vol 472 cc1051-3
Mr. Speaker

The Clerk will now proceed to read the titles of the Private Bills set out for consideration this day.

Sir Herbert Williams

On a point of Order. I do not know whether you are aware, Mr. Speaker, that most hon. Members present did not receive notice of today's Private Business. It was not distributed with the ordinary Papers and unless an hon. Member happened to know there was Private Business, or inquired at the Vote Office, he would be unaware that there was Private Business to be transacted. It is desirable, I submit, for this practice to cease and that we should revert to the pre-war practice.

Mr. Speaker

I should have thought that in the case of all Bills to which objection was taken hon. Members were present yesterday and would know for what day they had been put down.

Sir H. Williams

There are several Bills down today which were not mentioned yesterday.

Mr. Erroll

Further to that point of Order. I used to receive such Private Business information in the last Parliament, but it has been discontinued in this Parliament and I was not invited to renew my subscription to it.

Mr. Speaker

There was some difficulty yesterday. Objection was raised, but nobody knows from where the objection was raised. If hon. Members would stand up one could know and the various agents could find out what the objection is. As far as I know there is no objection whatsoever to this list and I cannot see that it is out of Order.

Sir H. Williams

I am afraid, Mr. Speaker, that my point has not been made clear. When they arrive here hon. Members are entitled to know what business is being transacted. If we do not receive such a document with our other Papers we cannot be aware that there is any Private Business to be transacted at all.

Mr. Speaker

In the last Parliament, if any hon. Member was interested in Private Business he could ask at the Vote Office and there he could obtain a copy. It is a waste of printing and everything else to circulate it all round, because very few hon. Members are interested in Private Business. If they are they can ask at the Vote Office. That was the procedure laid down in the last Parliament.

Mr. Arthur Colegate

Further to that point of Order. One is not always aware of what one may be interested in. A Member cannot say beforehand, unless he has seen the Order Paper, what Bill is coming up, and some of these Bills raise very important points of principle. There are very strong feelings on one or two of them here. Surely it would be quite simple to announce these particulars on the Order Paper of the day.

Sir Ralph Glyn

I think it will be within the recollection of the House that before the war it was common practice to circulate a list of Private Bills with the ordinary Papers. I believe that system was abolished during the war for economy reasons, and because of what was done with Private Business. Could we revert to the pre-war practice of circulating these notices of Private Business?

Mr. Speaker

That was the procedure in the last Parliament, which was agreed on all sides. I have no doubt it can be arranged through the usual channels. So far as we are concerned, we are quite agreeable. There was a difficulty before about the shortage of paper, but it was arranged that anybody who wanted notices of Private Business could, on arrival here, always ask for them at the Vote Office. Hon. Members could always put down on the demand papers that they wanted notices of Private Business. If they did not put it down on the demand paper, but wanted the notices, they could go to the Vote Office and ask for them.

Mr. Oliver Stanley

May we take it then that we can raise this point and discuss it with the usual channels, taking into account, of course, any extra expenditure that this would involve, and that if an agreement can be reached you would be ready to approve of it, Mr. Speaker?

Mr. Speaker

I am quite agreeable. This procedure was adopted before for the general convenience of hon. Members. I am quite prepared to consider it.

Mr. Driberg

Is it not also a matter for the Select Committee on Publications and Debates (Reports)?

Sir H. Williams

You mentioned, Mr. Speaker, the demand paper; but notices of Private Business are not mentioned in the demand paper.

Mr. Speaker

I cannot be cognisant of everything. I cannot read every paper that comes before the House. However, I am quite prepared to look into this matter to see what can be arranged.