PUBLIC WORKS FACILITIES SCHEME (ACTON SWING BRIDGE) CONFIRMATION BILL. (Hansard, 20 May 1931)

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)
My Lords, I would like to say one word on the Motion to read this Bill a third time, in reference to what was said in the debate on the Second Reading of the Public Works, Facilities Bill which took place on, July 28 last, when my predecessor, Lord Donoughmore, drew attention to the fact, that the procedure under that Bill gives your Lordships no power to discuss a Bill at all until it comes before you for Third Reading. But he also stated that this was safeguarded by the fact that if there is a real difficulty, if the House and the public are not satisfied with the result of the local inquiry, which of course is always made before the matter comes before your Lordships, the question can be referred to a Select Committee of the House.
There is one point that I should like to mention to-day and to which my attention has been drawn. In this particular Bill there are one or two very unimportant drafting inaccuracies, or perhaps departures from the usual precedents in drafting. Still, they are there. I do not think they are of sufficient importance to hold up the Bill, because they do not affect the clarity of the meaning of the Bill. But it might be that in some future event important drafting Amendments might be necessary, and I venture to suggest that some system of collaboration, perhaps only an informal one, might be introduced between the Department concerned, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport or whatever it might be, and the officers of the House. By that means, perhaps, drafting inaccuracies might be avoided and departures from precedent also. There have not been many of these Bills. This is the second this year, and I think there have been six of them altogether. It is, perhaps, desirable, when experience teaches us that something of this sort is necessary, that your Lordships' attention should be drawn to it with a view 1295 of improving the procedure in some slight degree in the manner in which I have suggested.

§ LORD PONSONBY OF SHULBREDE
My Lords, may I say that I will convey to the Minister of Transport, who is the responsible Minister in this particular case, the expressions of opinion of the noble Earl the Lord Chairman.

§ VISCOUNT HAILSHAM
My Lords, I should think that your Lordships' House is indebted to the Lord Chairman for drawing attention to this matter. The object of the Public Works Facilities Act, as I understood it, was to expedite the passing of measures which were designed to increase employment. Certainly it is important that in doing that we should not give up any safeguards in the direction of ensuring that the language of Bills should not depart from precedent or that their provisions should not be properly scrutinised. I had not known that this point was going to be raised, but, speaking for myself, I certainly hope very much that care will be taken that sufficient opportunity is given to the officers of the House, acting under the direction of the Lord Chairman, to be sure that nothing contrary to the usual practice passes through unnoticed, and to ensure that any such drafting points or, indeed, any more important points which depart from the usual practice, should be examined and brought to the attention of the House; so that before the schemes become law the House should at least know when it is sanctioning something which is out of the ordinary practice. I do not think I am saying anything which would be regarded as controversial, but I think it is important, now that this matter has been ventilated, that care should be taken to ensure that proper examination should take place of any schemes which are brought forward under the Public Works Facilities Act, and that the attention of the House should be specifically drawn to any departures from the ordinary practice.

§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR)
My Lords, I quite agree with what the noble and learned Viscount has said and also with what was said by the Chairman of Committees. I think that in matters of this kind, in order to ensure that nothing is done which ought not to be sanctioned, 1296 even in matters of drafting, it really is the duty of the Lord Chairman, if he will not mind my using that expression, and the officers of the House to bring anything exceptional to the notice of the House, and that irrespective of any attitude which the Department concerned may take. In fact, the responsibility lies upon us in this House, and we ought to be told in exercising that responsibility, whether any special conditions have arisen. I feel sure that the Lord Chairman and his staff will ensure on any occasion when there is any matter of that kind that we shall know it in the House in order that the House may make up its mind when coming to a decision.

THE EARL OF ONSLOW
My Lords, I should explain perhaps that this is the first time that the attention of the officers and the learned Counsel attached to the Lord Chairman has been drawn to any inaccuracy in any of these Bills. If the matter in this case had been of any importance, I should have moved the adjournment—I had not time here, it was only brought to my notice just before the House met—and should then have put down an Amendment on Third Reading. But it was not of sufficient importance. After what the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House has said, I think I shall be encouraged to go forward and consult with the Departments so as to be quite certain that there are no inaccuracies or departures from precedent, and, if there are, to hold up the Bill before it comes to your Lordships' House in order that they may be corrected.