§ Order of the Day read for the House to be in Committee, on Re-commitment, on Report of the Bill from the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR(LORD DILHORNE): My Lords, I beg to move that the House do now resolve itself into Committee upon the Bill. No Amendments have been made to this Bill by the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills, and they have reported that the Bill is pure consolidation and represents existing law.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee upon the said Bill.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly.
§ [The LORD MERTHYR in the Chair.]
§ On Question, Whether the Bill shall be reported to the House, without amendment?
§ LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETHI rise in a spirit of humility and ignorance. I can understand our being resolved into Committee but what I do not follow is the words "on Re-commitment", which I have always understood to be used if an Amendment that was overlooked, or otherwise not taken 480 in Committee, was proposed on recommitment. I wonder whether the Lord Chairman of Committees could help me on this point, as to why the word "Re-commitment" occurs in the Notice on the Paper.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (LORD MERTHYR)I think the answer is that the Bill in any case has a Committee stage, which we are now engaged upon, and it is called "re-commitment" because it is first of all considered by the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills who have a power to make Amendments; and that would be, I take it, the first Committee stage.
§ LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETHI am much obliged to the noble Lord.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House resumed.
§ Bill reported without amendment; Report received.