HC Deb 21 February 1956 vol 549 cc167-8

Standing Order 28, line 30, leave out "and Fisheries" and insert "Fisheries and Food."

Standing Order 32, line 10, leave out "and Fisheries" and insert "Fisheries and Food."

Standing Order 37, line 16, leave out "and Fisheries" and insert "Fisheries and Food."

Standing Order 39, line 5, leave out "and Fisheries" and insert "Fisheries and Food."

Standing Order 39, line 10, leave out "the Ministry of Food."

Standing Order 39, leave out lines 43 to 45.

Standing Order 101, line 6, leave out "and Fisheries" and insert "Fisheries and Food."

Standing Order 131A, line 4, leave out "printed" and insert "duplicated."

Standing Order 131A, line 4, leave out from "parties" to the end of the Order, and add:

"Provided that the minutes may be printed instead of duplicated if the Chairman of Ways and Means has given authority for printing, on an application made to him by the promoters of the Bill not less than six clear days before the first meeting of the committee."

The first seven Amendments on the Paper are of a drafting nature. The two Amendments to Standing Order 131A are necessary to give effect to Recommendation No. 9 of the Joint Committee on Private Bill Procedure. This recommendation reads as follows: The Official Shorthand Writer should be Instructed by each House to draw up a scheme under which he would undertake to produce the required number of duplicated copies of evidence taken before the Committees on Opposed Bills. If the House agrees to this Amendment, minutes of evidence of Private Bill Committees will, as a general rule, be duplicated instead of printed. The Amendment also empowers me to authorise the minutes of evidence to be printed, if the promoters satisfy me that printing is desirable in any particular case.

I am anxious that this particular recommendation should be implemented before Committees on the Private Bills of this Session begin their work. An estimated saving of between £4,000 and £5,000 per Session will be achieved; and I am satisfied, after carefully considering the proposed alteration, that neither the work of Committees, the interests of the parties concerned, nor the records of Parliament will be adversely affected.

The Lord Chairman of Committees in another place is moving an Amendment in similar terms to the Standing Orders of that House.

Mr. Glenvil Hall

I hope that the House will accept these changes. They are in complete accord with the recommendations made by the Joint Select Committee, of which I had the honour to be Chairman.

Question put and agreed to.