PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS AND PRIVILEGE (Hansard, 23 July 1968)

§ LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper: That it is desirable that a Joint Committee of both Houses be appointed to consider and report whether any, and, if so, what, changes in the law of defamation and of Parliamentary Privilege are desirable in relation to the publication of the proceedings in Parliament. In doing so I would only remind your Lordships that the Motion follows the recommendations in paragraph 23 of the Second Report of the Select Committee on Televising the Proceedings of the House of Lords; that is, the Second Report of the last Session. This Report was agreed by the House on July 18 last year. It also follows a similar recommendation in paragraph 25 of the Second Report of this year of the Select Committee on Broadcasting the Proceedings of the House of Lords, which has not in fact yet been considered by the House.

As your Lordships will see, the Motion takes the form of a recommendation to set up a Joint Committee of both Houses to consider what changes in the law of defamation and Parliamentary Privilege are desirable in relation to the publication of the proceedings in Parliament. I would only add that this Motion in no way pre-empts any decision, or commits the House in any way as to whether or not the proceedings of the House should be broadcast in any form. It is intended to enable the inquiry into various legal aspects of broadcasting to take place, as they affect both Houses of Parliament and the broadcasters themselves, and this is what was recommended by the Committee last Session. My Lords, if we pass this 855 Motion a Message will then be sent to another place.

Moved, That is it desirable that a Joint Committee of both Houses be appointed to consider and report whether any, and, if so, what, changes in the law of defamation and of Parliamentary Privilege are desirable in relation to the publication of the proceedings in Parliament.—(Lord Shackleton.)