§ 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 528 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.