HL Deb 13 July 1908 vol 192 c350

House in Committee (according to Order). Bill reported without Amendment.

Moved, "That the Standing Committee be negatived."

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

My Lords, on that Motion I beg to observe that on every Bill that is brought forward now it is moved that the Standing Committee be negatived. During the last month there is only one Bill that I know of (which is Lord Lovat's Crofters Bill) which has been allowed to go to the Standing Committee, and I think about a month before that there was a Bill of my own which also related to Scotland. With these two exceptions it has now become a general practice to move that the Standing Committee be negatived.

Now, my Lords, what particular hurry is there about this Bill? The Standing Committee sits to-morrow. I am perfectly prepared, if any of your Lordships choose to move the abolition, of the Standing Committee altogether, to support that. That is another matter, but so long as the Standing Committee exists—and this Bill apparently is a perfectly trivial Bill—why in the world it should not go to the Standing Committee, if you are going to have a Standing Committee at all, I do not see.

LORD ALLENDALE

My Lords, there is no objection to this Bill going to the Standing Committee, as the noble Lord seems to desire it, and therefore I withdraw the Motion to negative the Standing Committee.

Motion, by leave of the House, withdrawn.

Bill re-committed to the Standing Committee.