HC Deb 05 November 1968 vol 772 cc844-6

Motion made, and Question proposed,

That a Select Committee be appointed to consider Science and Technology and to report thereon from time to time:

That Dr. Ernest Davies, Mr. Ray Dobson, Mr. David Ginsburg, Mr. Arnold Gregory, Mr. Stephen Hastings, Mr. Robert L. Howarth, Sir Harry Legge-Bourke, Mr. Eric Lubbock, Mr. Eric Moonman, Mr. Airey Neave, Sir Ian Orr-Ewing, Mr. Arthur Palmer, Mr. Brian Parkyn and Mr. David Price be Members of the Committee:

That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, to admit strangers during the examination of witnesses unless they otherwise order, and to report Minutes of Evidence from time to time:

That Four be the Quorum:

That the Committee have power to appoint Sub-Committees and to refer to such Sub-Committees any of the matters referred to the Committee:

That every such Sub-Committee have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit nothwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, to report to the Committee from time to time, and to admit strangers during the examination of witnesses unless they otherwise order:

That Three be the Quorum of every such Sub-Committee:

That the Committee have power to report from time to time the Minutes of the Evidence taken before such Sub-Committees and reported by them to the Committee:

That during the present Session the Committee have power to appoint persons with technical or scientific knowledge for the purpose of particular inquiries, either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the Committee's order of reference:

That the Memoranda laid before the Committee in the last Session of Parliament be referred to the Committee.—[Mr. O'Malley.]

10.55 p.m.

Mr. Alick Buchanan-Smith (North Angus and Mearns)

I have no intention, of course, of opposing this Motion, but I seek clarification about it. I am particularly curious to know why the Government have chosen on this occasion to appoint this Select Committee instead of other Select Committees at the same time. My particular interest is in relation to the Select Committee on Agriculture, which was appointed in the last Session and has not completed its work.

When that Committee was appointed it was several weeks after the beginning of the last Session with the result that the effective work of the Committee could not begin until after Christmas, so two or three months of last Session were wasted before the Committee could begin to work. That Committee is charged with an important task, as is the Committee on Science and Technology. If such Committees are to discharge their duties, it is vital that they should have sufficient time to do so.

These Select Committees are the result of some of the reforms brought in by the former Leader of the House, reforms which I support. The Select Committee on Agriculture is in the middle of extremely important work in relation to the rôle of agriculture in the economy and the part which the industry can play in supporting the economy of the nation.

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Harry Gourlay)

Order. The hon. Member must know that this is not a matter for debate. He can put a question, but I hope that he will do so briefly.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

I had nearly completed what I had to say, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

I am interested to know why this one Committee is being appointed while another Committee which is in the middle of its work is not appointed at the same time. The Select Committee on Agriculture held its last meeting in the last week of the last Session. Why is it not being reappointed now?

10.57 p.m.

Mr. Brian O'Malley (Lord Commissioner of the Treasury)

I understand and appreciate the interest of the hon. Member for North Angus and Mearns (Mr. Buchanan-Smith) in the Select Committee on Agriculture. As he said, at the beginning of last Session there was a delay of several weeks before that Committee was set up. I hope that he will be satisfied when I give the assurance that there will certainly be no undue delay of that kind again in setting up that Committee. I am hopeful that it will be set up within the next few days.

The hon. Member asked why only the Motion for setting up this Committee on Science and Technology appears on the Order Paper, but it is not the only one for there was another Motion at the beginning of business today. I think that he will find that there will be a number of Motions to set up such Committees appearing on the Order Paper. There is no significance in the fact that only two appear today; it is merely a matter of administrative convenience. With the assurance that there will be no delay in setting up the Select Committee on Agriculture, I hope that the hon. Member will allow this Motion to be passed.

Question put and agreed to.