§ 39. Mr. SkinnerTo ask the Lord President of the Council when he expects to introduce plans to change the private Bill procedure; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Sir Geoffrey Howe)We shall look for an early opportunity to bring forward legislation to implement the proposals in our recently published consultation document, taking into account comments received in response to this consultation.
§ Mr. SkinnerI know that the Leader of the House has been very busy lately, what with all the problems surrounding the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and so forth, but why does he not get on with the job? When I came here 20 years ago, about 10 Bills would receive parliamentary time; now, there are as many as 30. Will not history record that, in 1990, while the Germans were taking over the Common Market and the rest of Europe, this Tory Government were pottering about with Bills about closing pits, running racing circuits and opening crematoria?
§ Sir Geoffrey HoweOn the contrary. I am interested to hear that the hon. Gentleman has noticed the upsurge in the number of private Bills being introduced. If he studies them more closely, he will see that they are to do with the promotion of private enterprise in many sectors and are representative of the tremendous expansion of enterprise and activity in this country as a result of the policies of the past 10 years.