HC Deb 04 May 1960 vol 622 cc1199-200

Considered in Committee; reported, without Amendment.

9.11 p.m.

Sir Hugh Linstead (Putney)

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.

With your indulgence, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, and that of the House, I want to make a brief remark on the Third Reading of the Bill, because it is a small milestone in Parliamentary history. There may be a sigh of relief in the House when I say that this is the last Bill in which Parliament will be invited to confirm a scheme of the Charity Commission. That is because under the Charity Bill now before the House this method of procedure will cease, and in future confirmation of schemes needing confirmation will be by affirmative Resolution of the House.

One other little curiosity of Parliamentary history which will also disappear is the fact that these Charity Bills are the only Bills which are introduced by a back bench Member and which are straight away adopted by the Government and given the star which facilitates their progress through the House, as we have seen this evening. Incidentally, it enables the Parliamentary Charity Commissioner for the time being to collect to his credit more Bills that find their way on to the Statute Book than any other back bench Member in the House.

The only sad thing, so far as I am personally concerned, is that this is the last Bill that I shall have the pleasure, or the pain, of inflicting on the House.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.