HL Deb 25 May 1960 vol 223 cc1219-20

2.48 p.m.

Order of the day for the Third Reading read.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord Craigton, who finds it inconvenient to be in his seat this afternoon, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Earl Bathurst.)

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, before I put the Question for the first time to-day, may I express my regret to your Lordships and especially to the noble Earl, Lord Bathurst, and the noble Lord, Lord Amulree, that I was over-precipitate in putting the Question yesterday on the Abandonment of Animals Bill, and thus deprived your Lordships of the pleasure of, I am sure, two excellent speeches. I want to assure your Lordships that in future I shall seek diligently for, and proceed with, an appropriate slowness.

LORD SILKIN

My Lords, this is the second time in two successive days on which we have had the formula that the Minister responsible for the Bill "finds it inconvenient" to be present. I wonder whether this is going to be a precedent for future transaction of Business. Surely the Minister who is responsible for the Bill owes his first duty to this House, unless there are really overriding considerations. To say merely that it is inconvenient for him to be here to move his own Bill, without any further explanation, really is a mark of disrespect to this House. I would suggest that the House is entitled to some further and better explanation than mere inconvenience.

SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: Hear, hear!

EARL ST. ALDWYN

My Lords, unfortunately my noble Leader is unable to be in the House at this moment, but I will certainly report to him what the noble Lord has said, and what is obviously the feeling of the House. I think it has been the practice in the past—I believe when either the Party of noble Lords opposite or ours has been in power—that where a Third Reading appears likely to be formal it is not always considered essential for the Minister responsible to be here; and I believe that that, in fact, is what has happened on this occasion.

EARL WINTERTON

My Lords, the exception that was taken on both sides of the House was to the use of the term "inconvenient". It was a most unfortunate term to use, if I may say so.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I make most sincere apologies to your Lordships' House if I used the wrong term, because I assure your Lordships that my noble friend is really occupied with the affairs of the Scottish Office, in Scotland. I have a letter that was written to him asking if it would be possible for another Member of the Front Bench to take this matter for him. As my noble friend has said, it is the custom for another Member of the House to deal with Business if that is likely to be formal. I assure your Lordships that this is entirely formal business which has been discussed and approved in another place; and again I make most sincere apologies if I have used a wrong term.

LORD SILKIN

My Lords, if I may speak again, with the leave of the House, may I say that had that explanation been forthcoming at the time, I personally should have thought it quite reasonable and should have accepted it? It was the use of the term "inconvenient" which I thought required comment.

On Question, Bill read 3a; and passed.