§ Lords Amendment No. 34: In page 30, line 16, leave out Clause 28.
§ Mr. John MorrisI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
The matters set out in Clause 28 are also dealt with in the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Bill which is to be further considered by the House after Amendment in another place. If that Bill becomes law, Clause 28 of this Bill will become redundant. It is therefore sought to remove Clause 28.
§ Mr. RidleyHow is it that Clause 28 ever got into the Bill if it should not be there at this late stage? The Parliamentary Secretary said that the Statutory Orders (Special Procedure) Bill would make it unnecessary, but the Government, not I, wrote that Bill. Why has it not been proposed before that Clause 28 should be left out if it is irrelevant now that another Bill is in transit?
§ Mr. MorrisIt would not be advantageous to discuss who originally drafted the Bill. The Gas Bill was introduced before the other Bill, which has been considered in another place, as has the Gas Bill. It seems likely that the other Bill will be discussed by this House this week and that both Bills will receive Royal Assent on the same day, in which case there would be no need for Clause 28 of this Bill when another enactment will be coming into force dealing with the same subject.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Subsequent Lords Amendment agreed to.