Lords Sitting of 16 December 1937

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

DOCKING AND NICKING OF HORSES (PROHIBITION) BILL. [H.L.]
LORD MERTHYR: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to prohibit the docking and nicking of horses, and the importation of docked and nicked horses, and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(Lord Merthyr.)
On Question, Bill read 1a, and to be printed.

PRIVATE BILLS (CONSOLIDATION).
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW) had given Notice that he would move to resolve, That it is desirable that in the present Session all Private Bills for the exclusive purpose of consolidating the provisions of existing Private Acts of Parliament, Acts Confirming Provisional Orders, and Special Orders, be referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills; and that the Joint Committee shall not take into consideration any petition against any such Bill if the petitioners seek to alter the existing law.
The noble Earl said: My Lords, I think I should give a word of explanation of this Motion. It originates from the Warwickshire Gas Consolidation Bill, which is a Bill to consolidate a number of Private Acts. The point has arisen on two former occasions—one in 1929, in regard to the Sheffield Gas Bill, and one in 1928, in regard to the North Metropolitan Electric Power Bill, which was a Bill to consolidate a number of Acts dealing with electricity in London. These were purely Consolidation Bills, and the practice on these two occasions—the only two occasions on which Bills for the consolidation of Private Acts have been brought forward—was to refer them to the Consolidation Committee like other Consolidation Bills. As your Lordships are aware, the function of the Consolidation Committee is to go through the
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Bills and to make sure that no new legislation is introduced; therefore the Motion which I am asking your Lordships to agree to says that "the Joint Committee shall not take into consideration any petition against any such Bill if the petitioners seek to alter the existing law." As this is a Consolidation Bill, and deals purely with the existing law, it would obviously be undesirable that petitioners should be allowed to lodge a petition to alter Acts of Parliament. The petitioners' proper remedy, if they wish to alter Acts of Parliament, is to promote a Bill to do so. The suggestion, therefore, is that no petition should be admitted.
I hope I have made that clear. The procedure is very unusual. We do not often get such Bills, and if we were to allow petitions against them nobody would come forward with a proposal for consolidation. I think your Lordships will agree that when you have a number of Private Acts of Parliament dealing with similar subjects consolidation is very desirable in the interests of everybody. It would not be at all in the public interest to allow petitions against, because in that case nobody would proceed to consolidation. I beg to move.
Moved to resolve, That it is desirable that in the present Session all Private Bills for the exclusive purpose of consolidating the provisions of existing Private Acts of Parliament, Acts Confirming Provisional Orders, and Special Orders, be referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills; and that the Joint Committee shall not take into consideration any petition against any such Bill if the petitioners seek to alter the existing law.—(The Earl of Onslow.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Ordered, That a Message be sent to the Commons to communicate this Resolution and to desire their concurrence.

AIR-RAID PRECAUTIONS BILL.
House in Committee (according to Order): Bill reported without amendment.
PUBLIC WORKS LOANS BILL.
House in Committee (according to Order): Bill reported without amendment.
JUDICIARY (SAFEGUARDING) BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to Order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.
CONVEYANCING AMENDMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL. [H.L.]
House in Committee (according to Order): Bill reported without amendment.

CLEVEDON AND YATTON GAS ORDER, 1937.
DARLINGTON GAS ORDER, 1937
STONY STRATFORD GAS ORDER, 1937.
HAMPTON COURT GAS ORDER, 1937
CHICHESTER GAS ORDER, 1937.
LOUGHBOROUGH GAS ORDER, 1937.
PONTYPOOL GAS ORDER, 1937.
STANLEY GAS ORDER, 1937.
SWINDON GAS ORDER, 1937.
Report from the Special Orders Committee, that no petitions have been presented praying to be heard against the Special Orders, and that there is nothing in these Orders to which they think it necessary to call the attention of the House: Read, and ordered to lie on the Table.

BRIGHTON GAS ORDER, 1937.
Report from the Special Orders Committee, that no petition has been presented praying to be heard against the Special Order; that they have considered the modification proposed by the Board of Trade and recommend its adoption to the House; and that there is nothing further in this Order to which they think it necessary to call the attention of the House: Read, and ordered to lie on the Table.

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE AND GATESHEAD GAS ORDER, 1937.
Report from the Special Orders Committee, that no petition has been presented praying to be heard against the
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Special Order; that they have considered the addition proposed by the Board of Trade and recommend its adoption to the House; and that there is nothing further in this Order to which they think it necessary to call the attention of the House: Read, and ordered to lie on the Table.

PENZANCE GAS ORDER, 1937.
Report from the Special Orders Committee, that the petition against the Order which was presented has now been withdrawn; that they have considered a modification to Clause 20 which has been agreed to between the parties and recommend its adoption to the House; that they are of opinion that no further inquiry by a Select Committee is now necessary; and that there is nothing further in this Order to which they think it necessary to call the attention of the House: Read, and ordered to lie on the Table.
HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICES.
First Report by the Select Committee made; to be printed, and to be considered on Tuesday next.

THE RECESS.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (VISCOUNT HALIFAX): My Lords, in moving that the House do now adjourn, perhaps your Lordships would allow me to say that if, as appears likely, the course of business allows, I propose that we should on Wednesday next, after the sitting that day, adjourn for the Christmas Recess, and in that case there will be a Royal Commission on that day instead of on Thursday.
LORD STRABOLGI: My Lords, may I ask if it is proposed to sit on Monday next?
VISCOUNT HALIFAX: No.
Moved, That the House do now adjourn.—(Viscount Halifax.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes past four o'clock.