Kent Water Bill (Hansard, 19 July 1954)

§ The Chairman of Ways and Means (Sir Charles MacAndrew)

I beg to move, That the Promoters of the Kent Water Bill shall have leave to suspend any further proceeding thereon in order to proceed with the same in the next Session of Parliament, provided that notice of their intention to do so be given in the Private Bill Office not later than Five o'clock on the day before the day on which the House adjourns for the Summer Adjournment and that all Fees due on the Bill up to that period be paid. That not later than Five o'clock on the third day on which the House sits in the next Session of Parliament the Bill shall be presented to the House. That there shall be deposited with the Bill a Declaration signed by the Agent for the Bill, stating that the Bill is the same, in every respect, as the Bill at the last stage of its proceeding in this House in the present Session. That the Bill when laid upon the Table shall be deemed to have been read the first and second time: and shall be recorded in the 956 Journal of the House as having been so read, and shall be ordered to be read the third time. That no new Fees be charged in respect of any stage of the Bill upon which Fees have already been incurred during the present Session. That the said Orders be Standing Orders of the House. This Motion enables the promoters of Kent Water Bill to resume proceedings in the next Session of Parliament at the point which they have reached today. The Bill has been considered by a Committee of this House for 23 days, and great expense has been incurred by the parties. Without the Motion, this expenditure of time and money would be wasted, for the Bill would be lost when the present Session ends.

The effect of moving the Motion today rather than later in the Session is that the time for lodging petitions in another place will not begin to run until the new Session has begun. The petitioners against the Bill will, therefore, have more time to prepare their cases against the Bill in another place.