HC Deb 11 May 1973 vol 856 cc973-4

Order for Second Reading read.

Hon. Members

Object.

Mr. Patrick Cormack (Cannock)

It is not yet four o'clock, Mr. Deputy Speaker.

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Robert Grant-Ferris)

Mr. Cormack—Container and Packaging Control Bill.

3.58 p.m.

Mr. Cormack

I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time.

I should like to trespass on the time of the House to point out that this Bill, whilst necessarily imperfect in its drafting, deals with an extremely important issue. I hope that the premature objection which was so vociferously voiced a moment ago from the Government side of the House will not be repeated and that this Bill, which impinges on the lives of every member of the community, every housewife buying products in the supermarket and every person who loves the countryside, will have a chance of being discussed in Committee where it can be amended and improved.

With those few words, I ask the House to give it a formal Second Reading.

3.59 p.m.

The Minister for Local Government and Development (Mr. Graham Page)

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock (Mr. Cormack) on producing a Bill like this. I wish we could debate the subject of the Bill, for it is one of great importance. It deals with the restriction and disposal of packing, which are matters of considerable difficulty.

I doubt whether the House could accept such a brief Bill on such an important subject. It gives the Secretary of State complete power to make regulations covering the subject of packaging and its disposal. The House would wish to consider this in far more detail. I would suggest that it would be right—

It being Four o'clock, the debate stood adjourned.

Debate to be resumed upon Friday next.

Mr. James Wellbeloved (Erith and Crayford)

On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Can you assist the House on the proceedings that have just taken place? It appears that what happened was that a Government Whip objected prematurely—

Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Robert Grant-Ferris)

Order. No objection can take place before four o'clock. The ordinary procedure has been carried out.

Mr. Wellbeloved

The point I am raising is that when the Government Whip called "object" prematurely you disallowed that objection, rightly, because the clock had not then struck four. We then had a situation in which the Government Whip had failed to obstruct the Bill and a Minister, not even a Minister from the Department concerned—

Mr. Deputy Speaker

Order. These are not points of order for me. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will agree with that.

Mr. Wellbeloved

May I conclude my point of order? The Minister is not the appropriate Minister. It is normal for Opposition spokesmen to be notified which of their opposite number is to speak in a debate. This has not taken place. What I am asking, in view of the deliberate and successful attempt by the Government to talk out the Bill—

Mr. Deputy Speaker

Order. The hon. Gentleman knows quite well that this has nothing to do with me at all.