HC Deb 02 April 1973 vol 854 cc26-7
22. Mr. Dalyell

asked the Lord President of the Council what is his policy about moving to refer Bills to Second Reading Committees.

Mr. Prior

The procedure for referring Public Bills to a Second Reading Committee is a useful one; it enables suitable Bills to be accommodated in the legislative programme when time can not be found for them on the Floor.

Mr. Dalyell

More in sorrow than in anger, may I rebuke the Lord President for not referring upstairs—it would have been, to use his own definition, a suitable occasion—the agreed measure on the pollution of the North Sea? That measure is one that the right hon. Gentleman wanted when in a previous incarnation as Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It is now wanted by my right hon. Friends. It will not take up very much time. On his own definition, contained within his answer, it is an ideal measure to go upstairs. Why will not he so refer it?

Mr. Prior

I stand rebuked. I should like to see the Bill taken as quickly as possible by the House either on the Floor of the House or in Second Reading Committee. The difficulty from my point of view is that it is quite a long Bill. The preparation of the Bill is not yet finished. It is always difficult to have Bills available just when we wish to have them. I have noted what the hon. Gentleman has said.

Mr. Dalyell

The right hon. Gentleman said that it was ready.

Mr. Prior

No, I did not say that it was ready. I said that the Government would introduce the Bill at the earliest possible moment.

Sir B. Rhys Williams

In view of the general dissatisfaction about procedure on Friday afternoons, will my right hon. Friend consider seriously the suggestion that when Bills are introduced to the House under the Ten Minutes Rule the Member in charge of the Bill should have the right to ask for it to be submitted to Second Reading Committee?

Mr. Prior

I should like to consider my hon. Friend's suggestion. My experience is that a good many Bills introduced late on a Friday afternoon tend to be highly controversial. I doubt whether they would find wide acceptance for Second Reading Committee. My hon. Friend's suggestion is something that we can consider.