§ The following Private Ruling given by MR. SPEAKER is published in accordance with MR. SPEAKER'S statement of 5 November 1981.—[Official Report, c. 113.]
§ On 21 June 1950 Mr. Speaker Clifton Brown ruled that a Member speaking in debate in the House must not quote from the evidence given before a Committee on a Private Bill. He explained that he so ruled because of the general principle that a Committee document not formally laid before the House should not be quoted.
§ I am informed that on a number of occasions since that Ruling was given, Members speaking on Report or Third Reading of Private Bills have quoted from such evidence and that no exception has been taken by the Chair or by the House to their doing so. I have therefore re-examined the matter.
§ The general principle, that oral evidence or papers which are submitted to Select Committees should not be quoted in debate in the House until the Committee 452 concerned has reported them, is clearly necessary for the efficient functioning of Select Committees and the Chair will continue to uphold it. However, evidence given to Private Bill Committees is in a rather different category. It is not formally reported to the House, but is printed or duplicated by the promoters at their own expense, for their own and the Committee's and others' benefit. It can be bought by the public direct from the promoters as soon as it has been duplicated, and Members who are not members of the Committee can with notice obtain copies free of charge.
§ If Members were to quote from such evidence while a Committee still had a Bill under consideration, there might well be a danger of interfering with the proper working of the Committee. But no such difficulties arise once a Committee has reported a Bill. I have therefore decided that it would be right to take account of recent practice and to give a formal ruling that the Speaker will not intervene to prevent Members quoting the evidence given before, a Private Bill Committee once the Committee has reported the Bill to the House.