THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (LORD MERTHYR)My Lords, I beg to move the Motion which stands in my name. The first of these two groups of Amendments is purely drafting; it is designed to clarify that part of Standing Order No. 62 which prescribes that a statutory company promoting a Private Bill in this House must send a circular to the registered proprietors of that company within a certain time to inform them of the purpose of the Bill and where copies of it may be inspected. The second group deals with the fees payable on proceedings on a Special Procedure Order and is designed to show that one-half of certain fees is payable to this House, the other half being payable to the House of Commons. At the moment, the table of fees merely shows the total amount due. I might add that this last group merely puts into legal form the present practice. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the following Amendments be made to the Standing Orders relative to Private Bills, etc.:—
§ Standing Order 62, page 38, line 38, after ("date") insert ("as")
§ Line 40, leave out ("and the date") and after ("on") insert ("and after")
§ Table of Fees, page 95, line 29, leave out ("£3 0s. 0d.") and insert ("£1 10s. 0d.")
§ Leave out line 31 and insert ("on the deposit of each Petition or Counter-Petition, or copy of either…£1 0s. 0d.").—(Lord Merthyr.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to: the said Standing Orders amended accordingly.