§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
§ LORD STANMOREMy Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a third time.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a—(Lord Stanmore.)
THE MARQUESS OF LINLITHGOWMy Lords, this Bill is in confirmation of a Provisional Order considered by a Commission of members of both Houses of Parliament in August, last under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act, 1899, and the Commission sat under the chairmanship of a member of the House of Commons. As one, of the members of that Commission I desire to ask His Majesty's Government to explain to the House how it has come about that two clauses, Clauses 18 and 19, have been introduced into the Bill since the Commission approved of the clauses of the Order and made their recommendations to the Secretary for Scotland. I desire to ask, further, whether all such. parties as appeared before the Commissioners on this Order were given an opportunity to consider the new clauses before those clauses were inserted in the Bill.
§ LORD STANMOREMy Lords, it is unnecessary to say that my right hon. friend the Secretary for Scotland attaches the greatest importance to maintaining the authority of Commissioners, and he has consistently refused to review their decision on such questions as that now under consideration. Even when new facts have emerged, or the case has not been fully put before the Commissioners, he prefers 154 that the review should be undertaken by Parliament. In this case, as the clauses have been agreed between the promoters and the opponents and the Ministry of Transport offers no objection on public grounds, he thought it right to ask Parliament to add them to the Order.
§ On Question, Bill read 3a, and passed.