Building Societies Bill (Hansard, 24 July 1986)

§ Mr. Speaker
I understand that the Opposition Front Bench would like to discuss Lords amendments Nos. 14, 83, 127, and the amendment to the Lords amendment, and 146.

§ Dr. Oonagh McDonald (Thurrock)
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. With the Lords amendments, we have another 200 amendments to the Bill which were considered in another place and now have to be considered by us. I feel that that is excessive in view of the fact that on Report we considered about 700 Government amendments after the Committee stage. This does not strike me as the most competent way in which to frame legislation, especially in view of the fact that the consideration of the amendments we are now dealing with was completed in another place only late last night. That means that the Third Reading debate is not yet available in Hansard, so we cannot take that into account as we consider the Lords amendments.
I put firmly on record the fact that the Bill seems to have been incompetently drafted at every conceivable stage. It is disgraceful that we should have another 200 or so amendments before us tonight.

§ The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Ian Stewart)
Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the fact that the hon. Lady, like myself, will have found it difficult to deal with the great number of amendments to the Bill at various stages. However, the amendments mostly result from the Government's response to matters raised during the course of the Bill. Many of them are for the sake of good order in the legislation. For example, 33 of the amendments before the House tonight, as I have advised the hon. lady, are purely a consequence of consolidations of other legislation which has taken place this year. I am sure that she would not want the Bill to be enacted with inconsistencies of that sort. I accept that here have been many amendments and I regret that as much as the hon. Lady does. However, I equally think that it is right to get the Bill in good shape before it passes to the statute book.