HC Deb 30 October 1974 vol 880 cc223-5

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, if a Bill is presented to this House in the same terms as those of the Channel Tunnel Bill as it was ordered to be considered before Parliament was dissolved, the Bill so presented shall be deemed to have been read the first and second time, and to have been reported from a Standing Committee to the House, and shall be ordered to be considered accordingly, and the Standing Orders and practice of this House applicable to the Bill shall be deemed to have been complied with: That a Message be sent to the Lords to acquaint them therewith.—[Mr. Malley.]

Mr. Skinner

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In the last Parliament there was a Bill designed to spend certain moneys on the Channel Tunnel. For a considerable part of that parliamentary Session it went its hybrid way through the House of Commons machinery and. I believe, almost reached the Report stage. It was then decided that a General Election was necessary. In accordance with normal practice, all Bills have to be reintroduced, with the exception of Private Bills, for which there is separate provision.

We now have a motion asking the House to forget the precedents that go back over many years and carry on as if there had been no election in respect of this matter. We all know that there has been an election in respect of certain other matters; the Leader of the Opposition tried to spell them out yesterday. I do not want to go into that. The Conservative Party has problems of its own. What I want to go into is the fact that as a result of the election there has been a considerable intake of hon. Members, mainly on this side, with a slight swing to the Left.

What is more germane to this matter is that the likelihood is that as a result of that new intake and, perhaps more important still, as a result of the general arguments and discussions in the election campaign there are more and more hon. Members who are not very happy about spending possibly £1,500 million on the Channel Tunnel.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not necessarily want to curtail the hon. Gentleman, but he has succeeded in making his point. I have had an intimation that it is not intended to proceed with this matter today, because hon. Members obviously wish to discuss it. There will be another opportunity to discuss it.

Mr. McNamara

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. Have you been given an intimation—

Mr. Skinner

I have not finished.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I cannot have two hon. Members on their feet at the same time.

Mr. McNamara

Have you been given an intimation, Mr. Speaker, that the opportunity for discussion will not be on a Friday?

Mr. Speaker

The intimation I have been given is that it is the Government's wish to move that the debate be adjourned, so that the House may have an opportunity to discuss the matter at proper length.

Mr. Skinner

We on this side of the House, at least, shall take the full opportunities to discuss the matter through our own channels, and shall make every possible attempt to see that it is brought forward on a day suitable for most of those hon. Members who object to the spending of the kind of money involved.

The Treasurer to Her Majesty's Household (Mr. Walter Harrison)

I beg to move, That the debate be now adjourned.

Question put and agreed to.

Debate to be resumed tomorrow.