HL Deb 02 February 1987 vol 484 cc11-2

3.6 p.m.

Lord Morris

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time. In so moving, if I may very briefly speak to both Bills standing in my name, this, as your Lordships will be aware, is the first time, technically and indeed literally, that these Personal Bills have been proceeded with under the new system. I should like only to pay tribute to my noble friend the Chairman of Committees and his very hard-working Select Committee, who reported with such expedition, such thoroughness and such clarity, and to draw your Lordships' attention to their recommendation that the Bills do now proceed with no further ado. My Lords, I beg to move.

Moved, That the Bill be now read a third time—(Lord Morris.)

Lord Mishcon

My Lords, I should like from these Benches to take this opportunity of commending the new procedure and of saying to the House how much more dignified this is than the old procedure that we had, when all the facts of these at times rather sad matters had to come before us in open session.

I too pay my tribute to the Lord Chairman of Committees for the way this has been arranged and look back with some amount of pleasure to the times when from these Benches, and from other Benches, something like this new procedure was suggested. I think we can congratulate ourselves that it has now been set in motion, and this is, I believe the first time that such a Bill has come before us in this new form.

Baroness Seear

My Lords, I should like to say from these Benches, and particularly on behalf of my noble friend Lord Meston, who put through the relevant legislation, that we are delighted that this new procedure is apparently working so satisfactorily and expeditiously.

On Question, Bill read a third time, and passed, and sent to the Commons.