VEHICLE AND DRIVING LICENCES BILL (Hansard, 24 February 1969)

§ Mr. Speaker

May I make two observations before we begin consideration of the Bill. I have added to my provisional selection of Amendments—I announce this for the benefit of both Front Benches—a Liberal Amendment, No. 31.

Much more important, when two Government Amendments were made to the Bill in Standing Committee, bringing the Isles of Scilly into the compass of the Bill, the Chairman of Standing Committee A ruled that it was for the Public Bill Office to decide whether the amended Bill when reported was prima facie hybrid. I quote the Chairman's remarks: when the Bill is reported back to the House it will be for the Public Bill Office to decide if the Bill, as amended, is prima facie hybrid. If it should so decide… the Bill would then be referred to the Examiners, who would decided whether it was, in fact, hybrid."—["OFFICIAL REPORT, Standing Committee A, 17th December. 1968; c. 119.] The Public Bill Office has, in fact, decided that the Bill, as amended, is not prima facie hybrid, for the following reason. The Amendments made in Committee—the two Amendments which Amendment No. 3 seeks to amend—were only declaratory in that they made no change in the law but only in its administration. The law existed before, although it was not enforced. In the same way. Income Tax was not collected in the Isles of Scilly until after the Finance Bill, 1953. which was not held to be hybrid. I therefore rule that this Bill is not hybrid.

I have posted up my selection of Amendments, as is my custom. The first is new Clause 1.