ANGLESEY MARINE TERMINAL BILL [H.L.] (Hansard, 25 October 1972)

§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE
My Lords, I beg to move that the Commons Amendments be now considered. In moving this Motion may I first of all declare an interest, which is the same interest I declared when the Bill was earlier before your Lordships? I hold 200 shares in Shell Transport and Trading. Having spontaneously taken an interest in this Bill from the start, I should like at the outset to say that I personally welcome the opportunity to see whether any further explanation or help can be given to Parliament in general and to noble Lords in particular—at any rate, any help that lies in my power to give.
There are more than 100 Amendments in question and these have become available to your Lordships only this morning, and then only as the result of a lot of midnight oil being burned by the staff of the Private Bill Office, so that very few of your Lordships will have had time to look at them in any detail. Without therefore in the slightest degree wishing, or being thought to wish, to curtail the debate in any sense, might it be for the assistance of your Lordships' procedures and convenience if any noble Lords who wish to address themselves to a particular Amendment would signify now which Amendment or Amendments they are interested in so that we might spare your Lordships' time and patience by taking the other Amendments which are not controvesial in groups of whatever 2219 size may be convenient? With that simple suggestion by way of procedure, I beg to move.

LORD HENLEY
My Lords, I wish to speak to Amendment No. 59. I do not know how many noble Lords have the manuscript Amendment and I do not think I need explain this matter closely because it is self-evident. Your Lordships will see—

§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE
My Lords, I was suggesting that at this stage noble Lords who wish to address themselves to particular Amendments should simply name those Amendments, after which we shall have an opportunity to debate the substance of them. The noble Lord, Lord Henley, was good enough to signify to me earlier his interest in Amendment No. 59. Perhaps at the moment the most useful procedure would be for noble Lords simply to indicate the numbers of the Amendments in which they are interested; and, as I say, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Henley, for courteously signifying to me earlier his interest in Amendment No. 59.

§ LORD SHACKLETON
My Lords, I am sure that the noble Earl, Lord Lauderdale, is suggesting a sensible procedure. He is saying, in effect, "Hands up those who wish to speak to any particular Amendments" I gather that it is his intention that the other Amendments should be taken en bloc. I wish only to add that I am not putting my hand up.

§ BARONESS WHITE
My Lords, I wish to support the remarks of my noble friend Lord Henley on the Amendment to which he referred.

§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD HAILSHAM OF SAINT MARYLEBONE)
My Lords, may I assume that the noble Earl, Lord Lauderdale, will move in each case that the Commons Amendments be agreed to?

§ THE EARL OF LAUDERDALE
Yes, my Lords, that is how I would seek to proceed. If it is acceptable to your Lordships, I propose to move that the Commons 2220 Amendments be agreed to in respect of Amendments Nos. 1 to 58 inclusive. Having disposed of that group en bloc, we can then come to Amendment No. 59.