HL Deb 14 October 1975 vol 364 cc771-2

2.45 p.m.

Lord AIREDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask the Leader of the House how many of the Parliamentary Papers shown in the Minutes as having been laid during the last week before the Summer Recess were not available by the time the House rose; and how many are still not available; and, in particular, when it is expected that the Law Commission Report on Exemption Clauses, minuted as having been laid on 5th August, will be available.

Lord SHEPHERD

My Lords, of the 74 Parliamentary Papers shown in the Minutes as having been laid in the last week before the Summer Recess, 57 have been published and 17 remain outstanding. The Law Commission Report on Exemption Clauses was published on 2nd October.

Lord AIREDALE

My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for that reply. Does not his Answer show the absurdity of Parliamentary procedure requiring papers to be laid, or pretended to be laid, before Parliament quite a long time before they are ready? Would the noble Lord invite one of his right honourable friends in another place to draw these absurdities to the attention of the Committee of another place which is to study Parliamentary procedure?

Lord SHEPHERD

My Lords, the noble Lord raised this matter some 12 months ago and I explained to him that although it might appear to be absurd to lay dummy orders, this was the means by which papers could be printed by an Order of both Houses during the Recess. Without this procedure these papers could not be printed. Since the noble Lord put this Question on the Order Paper, I have given the matter further consideration and what I intend to do is ask the Clerks at the Table to look into this matter and perhaps have discussions with their colleagues in another place to see whether some change could be made in procedure. But I hope the noble Lord appreciates that it is a matter not only for this House but also for another place.

Lord AIREDALE

My Lords, I am much obliged to the Minister for those remarks.

Lord TREFGARNE

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord also to consider in the same bracket the question of Statutory Instruments laid during the Recess, which sometimes come into force during that time but against which it is impossible to pray because the House is not in Session?

Lord SHEPHERD

My Lords, my understanding is that by the Negative Resolution procedure Statutory Instruments require certain numbers of Parliamentary days, and naturally those Parliamentary days do not include periods in Recess. So I do not see that the noble Lord's point arises.