FINANCE BILL (Hansard, 24 July 1969)

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be read a second time. In moving the Second Reading of this Bill, I ought to mention that it is customary for us to have an economic debate on the same day—

§ LORD BARNBY
My Lords, on a point of order—and I apologise to the noble Lord for interrupting him—may I draw your Lordships' attention to the fact that it is now ten minutes past seven and the Second Reading of the Finance Bill is just being taken? Although the noble Lord's explanation may be that he is the victim of the Government's own mismanagement, and I sympathise with him, on looking back over a long—

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, I wonder whether the noble Lord will properly allow me to finish the sentence on which I had begun. I was saying that it is customary to take the Finance Bill formally and that it has been agreed that we do so on this occasion. I was about to say, however, that it is also customary, when we take this Bill formally, to arrange for a debate on economic affairs. On this occasion the Opposition have, in the interests of the House generally, agreed that we should not have this debate on economic affairs at this point of time, in order to make room for other important business, which has just been concluded; and I was about to offer my appreciation to the usual channels and to the Opposition for their help and co-operation in this matter. With that, I was about to move formally that this Bill should now be read a second time.

§ LORD BARNBY
My Lords, may I now continue with my interruption, for which I apologise to the noble Lord? I am grateful to him for the explanation which he has given, but while he has admitted that it is customary that there should be some discussion on the Finance Bill, looking back over a long experience in your Lordships' House I think it is unusual for the House to be presented with a Finance Bill in this manner. I think it would be unfortunate if there were not comment made about it, because the debate on the Finance Bill has been of great value to your Lordships in providing the opportunity to hear the comments on financial matters of several distinguished and eminent Members of your Lordships' House. So I thank the noble Lord for the explanation he has given, but he will understand—and I think he would agree—that I think it would be unfortunate if attention were not drawn to this point and it should provide a precedent for the Finance Bill to be passed without any discussion when there has been no debate on economic affairs during the Session.

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, I quite agree with that. I would also say that the fact that we are not having the customary economic debate on this occasion should not be taken as a precedent. I hope that, with that assurance, the 1166 noble Lord, Lord Barnby, will agree that we now accept that this Bill should be read a second time.

§ LORD BESWICK
My Lords, in moving that the Bill do now pass, perhaps I may add, further to the assurance that I have given to the noble Lord, Lord Barnby, that part of the agreement was that we should have a debate on the economic situation of the country during the first week of the new Session, in the debate on the gracious Speech. My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass.