§ 4.40 p.m.
§ House in Committee (according to Order): Bill reported without amendment.
§ Then, Standing Order No. 41 having been suspended (pursuant to the Resolution of December 13):
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Lord Hawke.)
§ LORD SILKINMy Lords, I shall detain your Lordships for only one moment to express my thanks to the noble Lord for his courtesy in considering, as he promised to do, a point which I raised on Second Reading. I pointed out that there was a Schedule of some length containing a number of Acts which were being carried on for another year, and that it was exceedingly difficult for anybody who did not have a close familiarity with these Acts to know exactly what was being extended for another year. I suggested that a White Paper, or some document of that kind, should be circulated with the Bill. The noble Lord has been good enough to say that the Government have agreed that in future there will be a memorandum attached to such Bills explaining the purport of provisions extended for a further year. I am grateful for that promise. I think such a memorandum will make our work more intelligible—which seems to be the prevailing 376 feeling this afternoon, as the matter has been raised on a number of other measures.
§ On Question, Bill read 3a, and passed.