§ 3 p.m.
§ The CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES(Lord Aberdare) rose to move Amendment No. 1:
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Standing Order 83(3)
Line 18, leave out "complaining of a noncompliance with the Standing Orders" and insert "alleging that the Standing Orders are applicable to the Bill and have not been complied with".
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, in moving these Amendments to Private Business Standing Orders, I hope to be brief. They are mostly technical Amendments. The first Amendment is to bring our Standing Orders relating to hybrid Bills into line with those of another place. It would enable someone to deposit a Memorial in respect of a Public Bill alleging that certain Private Bill Standing Orders are applicable to the Bill and also that such Standing Orders have not been complied with. It is the consideration of such Memorials by the Examiners which determines whether or not a Bill is hybrid. This is to meet a difficulty which arose at the time of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill because of this discrepancy between our Standing Orders and those of another place. I beg to move Amendment No. 1.
§ On Question, Amendment agreed to.
§ Lord ABERDARE moved Amendments Nos. 2 to 6:
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Standing Order 113
Leave out lines 13 and 14 and insert "an Unopposed Bill Committee".
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Standing Order 121
Leave out Section (2) and insert the following new Section:
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(2) "(i) Each Unopposed Bill Committee shall consist of the Chairman of Committees and, should he see fit, such Lords as he may select from the panel of Deputy Chairmen appointed each Session, and no Lord who is not a member of the Committee shall take any part in the proceedings thereof.
(ii) The Committee shall have the assistance of the Counsel to the Chairman of Committees.
(iii) An Unopposed Bill Committee shall in respect of the Bill committed to them make a Special Report on any matter to which they consider that the attention of the House should be drawn".
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Standing Order 122
Line 3, at end insert "and in cases where the Committee consists of the Chairman of Committees and any Lord selected from the panel of Deputy Chairmen pursuant to Standing Order 121(2) they shall be entitled to be heard by themselves, their Agents or Counsel.
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Standing Order 160
Line 2, leave out "the Chairman of Committees" and insert "an Unopposed Bill Committee".
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Standing Order 185(1)(b)
Lines 7 and 8, leave out "the Chairman of Committees" and insert "an Unopposed Bill Committee.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, with the leave of the House, I should like to move Amendments Nos. 2 to 6 en bloc, as they all arise from a recommendation regarding Unopposed Bill Committees contained in the first report from the Procedure Committee for this Session, which was agreed to by the House on 31st January. However, I should like to draw particular attention to Amendment No. 4, as this is additional to the recommendations of the Procedure Committee. It seemed to me that in cases where I sit with other noble Lords from the Panel of Deputy Chairmen to consider an important provision in a Private Bill, or maybe an Instruction agreed to by the House in a Bill that is otherwise unopposed, the promoters should be allowed to appear by counsel if they wish to do so. That is effected by Amendment No. 4. I beg to move Amendments Nos. 2 to 6 en bloc.
§ On Question, Amendments agreed to.