§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (EARL JELLICOE) rose to move, That the Committee of seven Lords appointed on the 16th December last to join with the Committee of the Commons as a Joint Committee on Delegated Legislation do have power to appoint persons with specialised knowledge for the purpose of particular inquiries, either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the Committee's Order of Reference, and that a Message be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewith. The noble Earl said: My Lords, perhaps I could just say a word in explanation. It is nowadays normal practice for Select Committees of both Houses to have the powers referred to in my Motion, but when the Committee were set up last December it was not considered at that time to be necessary, so far as this particular Joint Select Committee was concerned. Therefore the Joint Committee at present have no power to appoint and pay a specialist adviser. The Joint Committee have in fact found that the subject matter of their inquiry is very complex. Those of your Lordships who know anything about delegated legislation will not be surprised that they found this so and that they require expert legal assistance. I might add that Sir Noel Hutton, who recently retired as First Parliamentary Counsel, is willing to help the Committee as a specialist adviser. I move.
§ Moved, That the Committee of seven Lords appointed on the 16th December last to join with the Committee of the Commons as a Joint Committee on Delegated Legislation do have power to appoint persons with specialised knowledge for the purpose of particular inquiries, either to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the Committee's Order of Reference, and that a Message be sent to the Commons to acquaint them therewih.—(Earl Jellicoe.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.