§ 3.6 p.m.
§ EARL JELLICOE rose to move, That a Select Committee of seven Lords be appointed to join with a Committee of the Commons as a Joint Committee to inquire into the procedures and practice by which the control of each House over delegated legislation is exercised, and to report how they might be improved;
§ That the Lords following be named of the Committee:
- The Lord Brooke of Cumnor,
- The Lord Cawley,
- The Lord Diamond,
- The Lord Diplock,
- The Lord Fletcher,
- The Baroness Sharp,
- The Lord Wade:
§ That such Committee have power to agree with the Commons in the appointment of a Chairman;
§ That leave be given to the Joint Committee to hear parties interested by themselves, their Counsel, agents and witnesses so far as the Committee think fit;
§ That the evidence taken before the Joint Committee be printed but no copies be delivered out except to members of the Committee and to such other persons as the Committee shall think fit, until further order;
§ That the Joint Committee have leave to report from time to time.
§ The noble Earl said: My Lords, I beg to move the second Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. As your Lordships will know, the Commons Select Committee on Procedure in their Report on the process of legislation, recommendation No. 24, proposed that a Joint Committee should be appointed to inquire into delegated legislation. Last month both 1271 my right honourable friend the Lord President in another place and I myself here in your Lordships' House announced that the Government accepted this particular recommendation. As your Lordships will also recall, the Lord Chairman of Committees, my noble friend Lord Listowel, the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton, the noble Lord, Lord Byers, and I gave evidence to the Commons Committee during which we said that speaking in our personal capacities we should welcome such a Joint Committee to look into the whole process of subordinate legislation which has not been thoroughly examined since the Donoughmore Committee in 1932; and yesterday the Procedure Committee of your Lordships' House also agreed that such a Joint Committee would be useful.
§ The Motion I am moving to-day is the last step so far as we are concerned in setting up such a Joint Committee, and it contains the proposed membership of the Committee. I beg to move.
§ Moved accordingly, and on Question, Motion agreed to.