§ 3.19 p.m.
§ The CHAIRMAN of COMMITTEES (Lord Aberdare) rose to move, That the Fourth Report from the Select Committee be agreed to.
1484§ The report read as follows:
§ 1. USE OF CLOCKS IN THE CHAMBER
§ The Committee have considered a proposal that the clocks in the Chamber should be used to record the length of time taken on amendments at Report Stages of Public Bills, rather than to record the length of speeches as at present. They have also considered whether the clocks might be used in Committee of the whole House to record the time taken on amendments and on debates on the question that a Clause (or Schedule) stand part of the Bill.
§ The Committee see the principal use of the clocks as being to indicate how long a Lord has spoken. They, therefore, recommend that there should be no change in the present practice with regard to the use of the clocks during Report Stages. They recommend, however, that, as an experiment, the clocks should be used during Committee Stages for recording the time taken on amendments or on debates on the question that a Clause (or Schedule) stand part of the Bill.
§ 2. HOUSE OF LORDS JOURNALS: EXCLUSION OF SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS
§ The Committee have considered a proposal by the Clerk of the Parliaments that, in order to reduce the cost of production of each volume of the House of Lords Journals, reports of Select Committees of the House should be omitted from the Journals. The Committee were informed that Select Committee reports are separately available in bound form. They, therefore, recommend that in future Select Committee reports, other than those dealing with matters of domestic concern to the House, should be omitted from the Journals.
§ The noble Lord said: My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. In moving this Motion, I think that I should briefly refer to the fact that on the same day as the Procedure Committee met—5th November—there was some discussion in the House on the subject of amendments at Third Reading. The noble Earl, Lord Ferrers, suggested that this should be referred to the Procedure Committee. It was referred to the Procedure Committee, but the committee—I think wisely—thought that it would be rather foolish of them to embark on a discussion on such an important matter without due preparation. Therefore, it has been deferred to their next meeting when they can consider it fully. I beg to move.
§ Moved, That the Fourth Report from the Select Committee be agreed to.—(Lord Aberdare.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.