HC Deb 29 June 1966 vol 730 cc1791-2
40. Mr. Winnick

asked the Lord President of the Council whether he will seek to refer to the Select Committee on Procedure the question of committing Finance Bills to Standing Committees rather than to a Committee of the whole House.

Mr. Bowden

Such a proposal has already been considered by Select Committees on Procedure on a number of occasions.

Mr. Winnick

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that in 1966 it is time we seriously considered taking the Finance Bill in Committee upstairs? Will he not agree that the time allocated to the Committee stage of the Bill by the whole House could well be taken up by many urgent Government and Private Members' Motions and Bills?

Mr. Bowden

I should like to think that this is a simple problem, but I am afraid it is not. It has been looked at on, I think, four occasions and I have given evidence on two or three occasions. It is not an easy problem at all. There is no doubt that if sections of the Finance Bill were taken in Committee upstairs we should need additional time on the Floor of the House for the Report stage. There may be ways of dealing with it, but I doubt whether taking the Bill upstairs in Committee is the right way. The present Select Committee on Procedure is currently looking at hours of sitting, of which this is part.

Mr. Channon

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that in the last Parliament the Select Committee made a number of recommendations about the Finance Bill? Will he assure us that time will be found to debate this question?

Mr. Bowden

I hope that we shall have a debate—but I cannot promise that it will be before the Summer Recess—on a number of procedural matters and changes. I should prefer to wait for the report of the current Committee on this point before promising to debate it.