§ The Chairman of Committees (Lord Ampthill)My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. These two amendments to standing orders give effect to two items in the Second Report of the Select Committee on the Procedure of the House, which enjoyed a favourable wind when it was agreed to on Monday of this week.
Moved, That the Standing Orders relating to public business be amended as follows:
Standing Order 40(2)
At end insert (", unless unanimous leave is granted by the House.").Standing Order 51Leave out Standing Order 51 and insert the following:On Question, Motion agreed to.
- ("51.—(1) When, on the Question being put, a division is called for, the Lord on the Woolsack or in the Chair shall order the Bar to be cleared. Two Tellers shall be appointed by the Contents and two by the Not-contents.
- (2) If, after a lapse of three minutes from the time when the Bar is ordered to be cleared, Tellers have not been appointed for either the Contents or the Not-contents, a division cannot take place. The Lord on the Woolsack or in the Chair shall declare the Question decided in favour of the side which has appointed Tellers.
- (3) One Teller for the Contents and one for the Not-contents shall be appointed for each division lobby without respect to their degree; and Clerks shall be in attendance in each division lobby to record the names of the Contents and Not-contents respectively; the Tellers shall count the votes and announce the numbers to the Lord on the Woolsack or in the Chair.
- (4) After the lapse of six minutes from the time when the Bar is ordered to be cleared, or longer at the discretion of the Lord on the Woolsack or in the Chair, the doors of the Chamber shall be locked, and the Lord on the Woolsack or in the Chair shall inform the House or the Committee of the Question which is the subject of the division.
- (5) A Lord may vote in a division although he did not hear the Question put.").—(Lord Ampthill.)