HL Deb 05 May 1970 vol 310 cc164-5

5.8 p.m.

LORD DELACOURT-SMITH

My Lords, with the leave of the House, I beg to move that the proceedings of this day in respect of the passing of the Bill be vacated. I must offer an apology to your Lordships for moving this Motion, but it is necessary for a privilege Amendment to be made to the Bill before it is sent to the Commons. A privilege Amendment should have been moved after the Third Reading this afternoon but by inadvertence this was not done, and in order, therefore, to put the matter right it is necessary for me to move that the passing of the Bill be vacated so that I may then, if it is your Lordships' pleasure, move the privilege Amendment in the usual way. I beg to move.

Moved, That the proceedings on passing of the Bill be vacated.—(Lord Delacourt-Smith).

LORD CARRINGTON

My Lords, the noble Lord is usually so efficient and so courteous that I do not think any of your Lordships would wish to blame him for what has happened. Moreover, having listened to my noble friend Lord Bessborough, we all want the Bill, and we do not want to make any trouble about it; so I suppose we must pretend that the noble Lord's finger had not left the Bill before the other proceedings this afternoon. All I would ask him is whether he can assure me that a Motion, That the proceedings of the day be vacated, is one that has some precedent. I have sat in this House for a great many years and I have never previously heard of such a Motion. I am just wondering whether it has been invented in order to get round the difficulties of to-day.

LORD DELACOURT-SMITH

My Lords, I can assure the noble Lord that this Motion is not without precedent. Perhaps I might add that my noble friend the Captain of the Gentlemen at Arms observed to me that it is not everyone who has the privilege of moving such a Motion.

On Question, Motion agreed to.

LORD DELACOURT-SMITH

My Lords, I beg to move that the privilege Amendment be agreed to.

Moved accordingly and, on Question, the Amendment (privilege) agreed to.

LORD DELACOURT-SMITH

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill do now pass.

Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(Lord Delacourt-Smith).

On Question, Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.