§ Notice to debenture holders.
§ 19B.—(1) On or before the Eleventh day of December in the case of a Bill whereby it is proposed to vary the rights of all or any of the debenture holders of any local authority, of any company within the meaning of the Companies Act, 1948, or otherwise constituted, notice in writing of the proposal shall be given to each of the debenture holders whose rights it is proposed to vary.
§ (2) A Bill for the purposes of this Order shall be deemed to vary the rights of the holder of a debenture only if it authorises—
- (a) in the case of an irredeemable debenture, its redemption;
- (b) in the case of a redeemable debenture, the alteration of the date or the terms on which it may be redeemed;
- (c) the creation or issue of any debenture with priority over, or ranking pari passu with, the first-named debenture contrary to the terms on which that debenture was created or issued.
§ (3) In this Order "debenture" means any debenture, debenture stock, mortgage or other similar security issued by a local authority or company, whether or not it entitles the holders thereof to a charge on the whole or any part 2316 of the property of the authority or company; and "debenture holder" shall be construed accordingly.
§ Time and manner of taking private business.
§ 174.—(1) On Mondays, Tuesdays. Wednesdays and Thursdays the time for private business shall end not later than a quarter to three of the clock and business entered upon and not disposed of at that hour shall be deferred to such time as the Chairman of Ways and Means may appoint. Business not reached shall stand over to the next sitting, or in the case of business which has been opposed until the next sitting other than a Friday.
§ (2) During the time of private business opposed business shall not be proceeded with but shall be deferred to such time, other than a Friday, as the Chairman of Ways and Means may appoint. Opposed business shall include any proceedings on a private bill or a confirming bill which have been so deferred, so long as a notice of an amendment stands upon the notice paper in the form of a notice of motion on second reading, consideration or third reading of such bill:
§ Provided that no such notice of motion shall stand on the paper for more than seven days unless renewed.
§ (3) No opposed business shall be taken on a Friday.
§ (4) Business deferred under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this order shall be considered at the time of private business on the day appointed unless the Chairman of Ways and Means directs that such business shall be set down for seven of the clock on any specified Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and business so set down (including any motion contingent directly or otherwise upon any item of such business) shall be taken in such order as the Chairman of Ways and Means may determine:
§ Provided that business so set down by direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means shall be distributed as nearly as may be proportionately between the sittings on which government business has precedence and the other sittings.
§ (5) On any day specified under paragraph (4) of this order at seven of the clock or as soon thereafter as any motion for the adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 9 (Adjournment on definite matter of urgent public importance) has been disposed of, the business set down by direction of the Chairman of Ways and Means shall be entered upon and may be proceeded with subject to the provisions of Standing Order No. 1 (Sittings of the House) although opposed.
§ Apart from one drafting Amendment, these are all consequential either on the Amendments to Public Business Standing Orders made by the House yesterday, or on Amendments made last July to implement the findings of the Joint Committee on the Promotion of Private Bills of Session 1958–59.
§ Question put and agreed to.