HC Deb 01 March 1993 vol 220 cc111-2

Queen's Recommendation having been signified—

Motion made, and Question proposed, That, for the purposes of any Act resulting from the Freedom and Responsibility of the Press Bill it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by Parliament of—

  1. (a) any salaries and expenses of the Secretary and other officers and staff of the Independent Press Authority constituted under the Act;
  2. (b) any salaries and expenses of the Press Complaints Adviser appointed under the Act;
  3. (c) subject to a limit specified by the Secretary of State, any expenses necessarily incurred by the members of the Authority in connection with their duties; and
  4. (d) any other expenses of a Minister of the Crown or of the Authority attributable to the Act.—[Mr. Robert. G. Hughes.]

10.1 pm

Mr. Peter Bottomley (Eltham)

May we take it that the motions on the Order Paper are formal motions and that there is no suggestion that the Government support the Bills attached to them?

Madam Speaker

At the moment we are dealing with the motion relating to the Freedom and Responsibility of the Press Bill.

Mr. Bottomley

It was to both that Bill and the following Bill—the Shops (Amendment) Bill—that I was referring. I am not asking for a reply, but I wish to put on record the fact that I presume that the motions do not commit the Government to supporting the Bills.

10.2 pm

The Secretary of State for National Heritage (Mr. Peter Brooke)

My hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) knows that the money resolution must be adopted by the House before a Standing Committee can consider those provisions of the Freedom and Responsibility of the Press Bill that give rise to public expenditure. The Government are happy to move the necessary resolution to enable the Committee to consider the Bill. As my hon. Friend knows, it is of no broader significance than that.

Mr. Bottomley

On that basis, I shall not oppose the money resolution. However, I hope that the Bill makes no further progress after its Committee stage.

Question put and agreed to.