§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make arrangements to enable Public Bills to be carried over from Session to Session in the same way as Private Bills may be carried over; and if not, why not.]
THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (LORD SHACKLE TON)My Lords, any decision to enable Public to be carried over from Session to Session would involve a decision by both Houses of Parliament. I should point out that Private Bills are not analogous to Public Bills in a number of respects. The noble Lord knows this as well as anyone. In particular the procedure involved in the promotion of a Private Bill requires the payment of fees and other expenditure which may be very heavy, both for the Promoters and for any Petitioners. I would remind the noble Lord, that the whole question of carrying over Bills from Session to Session was considered by a Joint Committee of both Houses in 1929 when no unanimity of opinion emerged and no action was taken on the Committee's Report.
LORD MERTHYRMy Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for that Answer may I ask him one supplementary question? I hope no more than one. Would he not agree that it would be better, if Her Majesty's Government, or the noble Lord himself, wished to "kill" a Bill of any kind that they should vote against it rather than snuff it out by the effluxion of time, a process which most people now consider to be highly unsatisfactory?
§ SEVERAL NOBLE LORDS: Hear, Hear!
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lards, I do not know that the Government ever seek in this House to "kill" a Bill; I do not think I can comment on the tactics employed by any Government in another place.