HC Deb 08 May 1967 vol 746 cc1009-10

Read a Second time.

Motion made, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House.—[Mr. Fitch.]

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Eric Fletcher)

The Question is—

12.10 p.m.

Mr. Graham Page (Crosby)

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I was on my feet.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

I am sorry, but I did not see the hon. Gentleman. After all, this is a Consolidation Bill.

The Question is, That the Bill be committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Mr. Page

Further to that point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. This is a debatable Motion. I hope that I may catch your eye on it.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

Yes. Mr. Graham Page.

Mr. Page

On this Motion as to whether the Bill should be committed to a Committee of the whole House, I am extremely restricted in what I may say. The Bill might have been explained a little, I feel, before we were asked to commit it to a Committee of the whole House.

This may be a Consolidation Bill, but the House has never seen the Bill before, as it were. It went to the Joint Select Committee and came before the House for Second Reading and then for Committal without any explanation of the contents.

I apprehend that, on this Motion, there is nothing very much that I can say. Therefore, I shall have to wait until the Committee stage, when I can put down Amendments and deploy certain points then. It seems a most unsatisfactory position.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly committed to a Committee of the whole House.

Committee Tomorrow.