§ 5.37 p.m.
§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
§ LORD WESTWOODMy Lords, I beg to move that the Bill be read a third time.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Lord Westwood.)
LORD SALTOUNMy Lords, I should like to say a word at this moment in connexion with this Bill. In the first place, I would like to congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Westwood, on piloting this, his first big Bill, of 85 pages, through your Lordships' House, but there is one bad point in connexion with this Bill. It is on very much the same lines and on the same principle as an English Bill which went through Parliament and was passed into law nine months ago. In my experience there have been many Scottish Bills passed on the same lines as English Bills at even greater intervals 299 than nine months, and it puts one in this position. If one has to challenge the principle of the Bill, then one has to challenge it on the English Bill and produce examples from Scotland which are entirely outside the scope of the English Bill. If one waits for the Scottish Bill, one is met with the statement that it is on the same lines as the English Bill, and that these two great countries must move on parallel lines. To that extent, and in that way it seems to me that, at any rate as far as Scotland is concerned, it rather interferes with the proper discharge of Parliamentary functions. I would therefore ask my noble friend opposite if he would convey this to the Secretary of State for Scotland and ask, if possible, that in future when great measures are in question they should be introduced into Parliament at much the same time in order that Parliament may properly consider the principles of the Bill.
§ LORD WESTWOODI think I can give the noble Lord the assurance that I will convey to the Secretary of State for Scotland his anxiety at the time elapsing after a Bill has gone through in another place.
LORD SALTOUNIt is the English Bill which was passed nine months ago, and the Scottish Bill comes now.
§ LORD WESTWOODAs my noble friend Lord Saltoun knows, the English 300 Water Act became law last year, and the House was afterwards up for a considerable period.
§ LORD WESTWOODAs a matter of fact, the Scottish Bill will go through the House much more quickly than the English Bill went through.
§ On Question, Bill read 3a, with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.