EXPIRING LAWS CONTINUANCE BILL (Hansard, 22 November 1951)

§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE DUCHY OF LANCASTER (VISCOUNT SWINTON)
My Lords, I rise to move that this Bill be now read a second time. As your Lordships will see, the Bill is in the common form to which we have been accustomed for many years. Set out in the Schedule are the Acts, or parts of Acts, which it is proposed to continue for another year. These, I think, are also hardy annuals which, no matter from what side the measure is advanced, figure with honourable continuity in this Bill. It has, I think, been the regular practice in this House that we should always dye a formal Second Reading to the Bill, and that, if there should be any particular measure to which any noble Lord wishes to draw attention or to criticise, that should be done on the Committee stage of the Bill, which I understand will take place next Tuesday. If any particular point is likely to arise, perhaps noble Lords will give notice of it to my noble friend, Lord Fortescue, or whichever noble Lord is to reply for the Government. As I shall be receiving an honorary degree at Liverpool that afternoon. I am afraid that I shall have to ask the House to excuse my attendance here. However, I do not think there will be any points which it will be desired to raise, because, as I say, I understand that all these matters are hardy annuals. I trust your Lordships will agree to the course I have indicated being followed—it, also, is hallowed by tradition. I beg formally to move that the Bill be given a Second Reading.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, my noble friends do not propose to offer any opposition to the progress of this Bill and I am sure they will be prepared to give it general support when it comes to the Committee stage. I should like to make a suggestion to the noble Viscount that he might take to the proper quarter: it would meet the convenience of everyone in the House if attached to a Bill of this kind there was a memorandum explaining the Bills and their main purposes. This would save a good deal of research work in the Library when we received the Bill from another place.

§ VISCOUNT SWINTON
My Lords, I am very glad the noble Lord has raised that point. That has been a very convenient practice in a number of other Bills. So far as my recollection serves, both in this House and in another place, I do not believe we have ever done so in the case of any of the Expiring Laws Continuance Bills. It is too late to do it now, but if we have to go on "expiring" this time next year and we are in the position to be the proposers of expiration, I will certainly see that the noble Lord's suggestion is considered.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I am greatly obliged to the noble Viscount for that promise.