DECIMAL CURRENCY BILL (Hansard, 22 June 1967)

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, in rising to move the First Reading of this Bill, may I draw the attention of the House to the italic notices in the Notices and Orders of the Day showing the arrangements that have been made, through the usual channels, to take the Second Reading of this Bill on Tuesday next, the 27th June, and the Committee stage on Thursday next, the 29th June? In view of our recent debate on the Motion of the noble Lord, Lord Redmayne, it is hoped that the House will agree to take the Second Reading relatively shortly, and perhaps to leave the deployment of our arguments on the pound system or the ten-shilling system to the Committee stage on Thursday. In view of the shortness of the interval between the Second Reading and the Committee stage it may be for the convenience of the House if arrangements are put in hand to circulate Amendments before the Second Reading; and the Public Bills Office is so arranging it. I beg to move that the Decimal Currency Bill be read a first time.

§ THE EARL OF DUNDEE
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for bringing to our notice the arrangements he has described. The purpose of these arrangements, which we accept, is not to prevent anybody from speaking but purely to avoid repetition. So far as we on these Benches are concerned, all we have to say can be said on one Amendment. We should therefore propose to treat the Second Reading as a formality. There may, of course, be other noble Lords who have points to raise which cannot be put in the form of an Amendment and who may therefore have to raise such matters on Second Reading.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I agree with the noble Earl. I intend, when I move the Bill on Second Reading, merely to explain the various clauses to it, so that there should be a good understanding of the Bill. I am sure that the quality of our debate on the main and basic issue would certainly be bettered by having it on Thursday instead of first on Tuesday and again on Thursday.