§ Mr. RossI beg to move Amendment No. 68, in page 28, line 40, leave out 'made by statutory instrument'.
§ Mr. RossThis must be a happy occasion for my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East (Mr. Willis). In Committee, he asked whether orders made by me under subsections (2) and (3) can be prayed against, and I know his historic interest in this.
The effect of the Amendment is to make this possible. There is precedent for both ways, of course. However, on consideration, it appears right that there should be an opportunity for Parliament to discuss orders preserving or amending provisions of local Acts under Clause 55.
§ Mr. WillisWe had a long discussion on this Clause in Committee, during which I raised the possibility of our being allowed to pray against an order. I was prompted to pursue the matter on Report by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State, and I was surprised that he should wish to filibuster his own Bill by prompting me to do something. He suggested that I would be impelled to further action on Report. Taking his words literally, my hon. Friend the Member for Midlothian (Mr. Eadie) and I framed Amendments in order to raise the matter again. My right hon. Friend has met 1501 our wish, so that orders may be debated on a Prayer. That gives hon. Members the opportunity to raise any matter of importance when Orders dealing with Glasgow or Edinburgh are being discussed. That is what we wanted, and I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for having met us.
§ Mr. EadieI would like to endorse the sentiment expressed by my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East to my right hon. Friend and thank him for his response, because during the whole of the course of the Bill we have always had to come back to the question whether Glasgow and Ayr and Edinburgh or some other local authority would be able to do something different from my own county of Midlothian. During the course of the discussion my right hon. Friend and I had sharp words—
§ Mr. BuchanNot sharp.
§ Mr. EadieWe had words about what the provision should be and I must express my gratitude to him for being so helpful.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Further Amendments made: No. 69, in page 29, line 11, leave out 'made by statutory instrument'.
§
No. 72, in page 29, line 12, at end insert:
(4) Any order made under this section shall be made by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.—[Mr. Ross.]