BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (Hansard, 31 October 1962)

§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Iain Macleod)

I beg to move, That—

(1) save as provided in this Order, Government Business shall have precedence at every sitting for the remainder of the Session;
(2) Public Bills other than Government Bills shall have precedence over Government Business on the following Fridays, namely 7th December, 25th January, 8th February, 22nd February, 8th March, 22nd March, 5th April, 3rd May, 17th May and 21st une;
(3) on and after Friday, 5th April, Public Bills other than Government Bills shall be arranged on the Order Paper in the following order:—Consideration of Lords Amendments, Third Readings, Consideration of Reports not already entered upon, Adjourned Proceedings on Consideration, Bills in progress in Committee, Bills appointed for Committee, and Second Readings;
(4) the ballot for unofficial Members' Bills shall be held on Thursday, 8th November, under arrangements to be made by Mr. Speaker, and the Bills shall be presented at the commencement of Public Business on Wednesday, 21st November;
(5) unofficial Members' Notices of Motions and unofficial Members' Bills shall have precedence in that order over Government Business on the following Fridays, namely, 30th November, 14th December, 1st February, 15th February, 1st March, 15th March, 29th March, 26th April, 10th May and 24th May;
(6) on Wednesdays 12th December and 29th May, unofficial Members' Notices of Motions shall have precedence until seven of the clock, and if not previously concluded the proceedings thereon shall lapse at that hour and the House shall proceed with Government Business;
(7)on Mondays, 18th February and 1stJuly, Government Business shall have precedence until seven of the clock and if the Business has not been concluded earlier Mr.Speaker shall at that hour proceed to interrupt the proceedings thereon and the House shall then proceed with unofficial Members' Notices of Motions; and the proceedings on Business 148 interrupted at seven of the clock shall be resumed either after unofficial Members' Notices of Motions have been disposed of or after the Question on any Motion made in accordance with paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 1A (Exemptions from the Standing Order "Sittings of the House") has been decided, as the case may be;
(8) ballots for precedence of unofficial Members' Notices of Motions shall be held after Questions on the following Wednesdays, namely, 14th November, 28th November, 23rd January, 30th January, 13th February, 27th February, 13th March, 3rd April, 1st May, and 8th May for the following Fridays, 30th November, 14th December, 1st February, 15th February, 1st March, 15th March, 29th March, 26th April, 10th May and 24th May, respectively, and on Tuesdays 27th November, 5th February, 14th May and 18th June, for Wednesday 12th December and Monday 18th February, Wednesday 29th May and Monday 1st July, respectively; and no Notices of Motions shall be handed in for any of the said days on which unofficial Members' Notices have precedence under this order in anticipation of those ballots.
(9) until after Wednesday, 21st November, no unofficial Member shall give Notice of Motion for leave to bring in a Bill under Standing Order No. 12 (Motions for leave to bring in Bills and nomination of Select Committees at commencement of Public Business) or for presenting a Bill under Standing Order No. 35 (Presentation and first reading).

This Motion is exactly in accordance with practice in previous years. In addition to the 20 Fridays provided for Private Members' Bills and Motions—in accordance with the recommendation of the Select Committee on Procedure—we are continuing the experiment, begun in 1959, of having another four Motions. That makes a total, in effect, of 22 days.

The Ballot for Bills will be on Thursday, 8th November, and the Bills will be presented on Wednesday, 21st November, and the first of the regular Ballots for Notices of Motions will be held on Wednesday, 14th November, for Friday, 30th November.