THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)My Lords, I beg to move that Standing Order No. 99 be dispensed with in order that the Stroud and District Water Board Bill may be read a first time. The reason for that is that this Standing Order requires that no Local Bill shall be read a first time until it has received the Examiner's Certificate and that no Local Bill originating in this House shall be read later than three clear days, on which the House shall sit for public business, after the Certificate from the Examiners has been laid on the table. In the case of this Bill the Examiner's Certificate was laid on the Table on December 20 last. Under the Standing Order the last day on which this Bill could be read a first time was January 9, when your Lordships' House was not sitting. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That Standing Order No. 99 be dispensed with in respect of the said Bill.—(The Earl of Onslow.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, Standing Order No. 99 dispensed with accordingly: Bill presented and read 1a.