§ 11.5 a.m.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Martin Redmayne)With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I would like to make a statement on business.
As the House will know, the Chairman of Ways and Means has put down two opposed Private Bills for consideration on Tuesday next, 20th March. He now thinks that it would be convenient for the House to know that, in view of the time which it is estimated that the first of these, the Letchworth Garden City Corporation Bill, will take, he proposes to postpone the Second Reading of the other Bill, the British Transport Commission Bill.
§ Mr. George Wigg (Dudley)Will the right hon. Gentleman convey to the Leader of the House the fact that this business has been much rearranged, and that there are two objections to the British Transport Commission Bill? One is seeking to discover the principle by which the Commission is tearing up railway lines all over the country without regard to existing transport needs or the needs that are likely to develop. The second is contained in the Instruction standing in the names of a number of his hon. Friends.
Will the Government consider accepting the Instruction, or, alternatively, if they cannot do that, giving an undertaking that adequate time will be found to debate not only the merits of the Bill, but the very important considerations which concern not only my constituency but the country as a whole?
§ Mr. RedmayneNo doubt my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House will take into account what the hon. Gentleman has said.