§ The Chairman of Ways and Means (Dr. Horace King)I beg to move,
That the Amendments to Standing Orders relating to Private Business hereinafter stated in Schedule (A), and that the new Standing Order hereinafter stated in Schedule (B) be made.
§ Schedule (A)—Amendments to Standing Orders
§ Standing Order 4A, line 37, leave out "the London County Council".
§ Standing Order 27, line 60, at end insert "and at the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources".
§ Standing Order 37, line 14, at end add "and at the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources".
§ Standing Order 39, line 10, after "insurance", insert "the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources".
§
Line 48, at end insert—
(10) of every bill extending to Wales, at the Welsh Office, Parliament Street".
§ Standing Order 46, line 4, after "Government", insert "or Ministry of Land and Natural Resources".
§ Standing Order 111, line 9, leave out "five" and insert "six".
§ Line 11, leave out "three" and insert "four".
§ Standing Order 132, line 14, leave out "three" and insert "four".
§ Standing Order 223, line 5, leave out "London County".
§ Line 6, leave out "the consolidated loans fund" and insert "the General Fund".
§
Standing Order 242, line 5, leave out paragraph (2) and insert—
(2)—If no such memorial is deposited, but the Chairmen
1243
the Chairman shall give notice in the Private Bill office of the time and place at which the Chairmen will further consider the petition.
§
Table of Fees, page 100, line 3, leave out "5 - 13 - 6" and insert "6 - 10 - 6";
Line 5, leave out "6 - 14 - 6" and insert "7 - 14 - 6";
Line 7, leave out "1 - 9" and insert "2 - 3";
Line 8, leave out "2 - 9" and insert "3 - 2".
| Schedule (B)—New Standing Order | |
| Special report by Chairmen. | "241A (1) Where the Chairmen certify that a special procedure |
§ petition is proper to be received as a petition for amendment but are of opinion that any amendment asked for would, if made, alter the scope of the special procedure order or affect the interests of persons other than the petitioner, they may make a special report to that effect.
§ (2) A special report made under this Order shall be laid before both Houses and shall stand referred to the Joint Committee on the petition.
§ (3) A special report made under this Order may, without binding the Joint Committee, express the Chairmen's opinion on the extent to which effect should be given to any amendment to which the report refers and the steps that should be taken to bring that amendment to the notice of persons likely to be affected thereby".
§ The Amendments which I am asking the House to agree to fall into three categories: Amendments of a drafting nature Amendments relating to procedure of the Committee on Unopposed Bills and that under the Special Procedure Act of 1945, and Amendments to the Table of Fees.
§ The drafting Amendments are the most numerous: they relate to the deposit of documents with Government Departments, and further Amendments consequential on the passing of the London Government Act, 1963.
§ The Amendments to Standing Orders 111 and 132 are those which deal with the Unopposed Committee. At present the Committee consists of five members 1244 which number includes myself and the Deputy-Chairman. The quorum is three. The House will, I am sure, understand how difficult it is for both the Chairman and the Deputy-Chairman to attend these meetings together. For many years it has, in fact, been the practice for the Deputy-Chairman to take the Chair of the Committee. It is usual for several Bills to be considered at each meeting and it is not always easy to keep the quorum in attendance. My hon. Friend the Deputy-Chairman and I would therefore be grateful if the House would see fit to increase the membership of the Committee from five to six. The Quorum will remain the same.
§ The Special Procedure Amendments are the Amendment to Standing Order 242 and the new Standing Order 241A. Section 9 of the 1945 Act provides for the making of Standing Orders by both Houses for regulating the procedure under the Act. It is the duty of the Chairmen under Section 3 to take into consideration all Petitions presented against a Special Procedure Order. The new Standing Order is to enable the Chairmen to make Special Reports to the House whenever in their opinion a Petition prays for relief which would be outside the scope of the Order. The Amendment to Standing Order 242 is consequential. I understand that exactly similar Amendments are to be moved in another place.
§ The Amendments to the Table of Fees provide for an increase in the fees payable to the Official Shorthand Writer for attendance and transcriptions. These fees were last revised in 1960. The revised scale has been approved by the Treasury, and here again I understand that similar Amendments are to be moved in another place.
§ Mr. Graham PageMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman the Chairman of Ways and Means one question arising out of the new Standing Order 241A? If the Joint Committee wishes to give effect to Amendments which alter the scope of the Special Procedure Order or affect the interests of persons other than the Petitioner, is it intended that the Joint Committee should delay a Report to the House until it is satisfied that notice has been given to persons affected, or is it intended that the Joint Committee should amend the Order so as to include an 1245 obligation upon the Minister to give notice to the persons affected before he determines the date on which the Order should come into operation? In short, how will the House be assured that the requirements as to notice of the persons affected by a proposed Amendment have been or will be carried out?
§ The Chairman of Ways and MeansI have discussed this fully with the hon. Gentleman. May I just summarise and say that the Joint Committee will have the Chairman's Report before it, and it will certainly deal with the question of notices before reporting the Special Procedure Order to the House.
§ Question put and agreed to.