§ Order for Second Reading read.
§ Second Reading deferred till Tuesday 23 July.
§ Mr. Roger Gale (North Thanet)On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. It has always been the duty and the privilege of the Chair of this House to protect the interests of Back Benchers. You know, Madam Deputy Speaker, that the late Lord Houghton's Dangerous Dogs (Amendment) Bill has been through all its stages in another place, and has been the subject of a House of Lords Select Committee. It is, nevertheless, possible under the procedures of this House to kill the Bill stone dead on the shout of "Object".
I should be grateful if you, Madam Deputy Speaker, would be kind enough to ask Madam Speaker to seek an urgent meeting with the Leader of the House and the shadow Leader of the House, to consider the possibility that, at the very least, Bills that have been through all their stages in another place should, as a courtesy and as part of our democracy, be afforded a Second Reading in this House. That should be done by the reinstatement of the non-sitting Fridays.
§ Mr. Dennis Skinner (Bolsover)Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. It will be placed on the record that the reason why the Bill has been scuppered is that a Tory Government Whip shouted "Object".
§ Madam Deputy SpeakerStrictly speaking, the hon. Member for North Thanet (Mr. Gale) should have recourse to the Procedure Committee. I will, of course, ensure that Madam Speaker is acquainted with his views.