HL Deb 15 December 1994 vol 559 cc1370-1
Viscount Cranborne

My Lords, I beg to move the first Motion standing in my name on the Order Paper.

Moved, That in the event of the Consolidated Fund Bill being brought from the Commons, Standing Order 44 (No two stages of a Bill to be taken on one day) be dispensed with to enable the Bill to be taken through all its stages tomorrow.—( Viscount Cranborne.)

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, is it intended to continue the ban on debating the Consolidated Fund Bill? Is my noble friend aware that, if it were to be debated, that would comply with requests made during a recent Statement to the House to have economic matters fully debated?

Viscount Cranborne

My Lords, my noble friend's intervention was not altogether unexpected. I am sure that he will need no reminder from me that the Companion to the Standing Orders sets out that it is the convention that proceedings on the Consolidated Fund are taken formally. I refer my noble friend to page 124. Guidance was considered and endorsed by the Procedure Committee as recently as March 1994.

I know that my noble friend and noble Lords in all parts of the House are anxious that the House should be given a full opportunity at reasonably regular intervals to debate economic matters. I fully share that desire. Under the new unified Budget arrangements, we will have an opportunity to debate the Finance Bill on Second Reading before 5th May next year. There was in opportunity to do so during debates on the Queen's Speech. That is in addition to opportunities that noble Lords have to raise these issues by means of Starred and Unstarred Questions and on Wednesday debates.

I hope that my noble friend will reflect a little on whether convention as set out in Standing Orders and the opportunities that are available to noble Lords will suffice.

Lord Graham of Edmonton

My Lords, perhaps I may say from these Benches that we have the understanding which the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, has; namely, that if the letter of the law is to be applied to the Consolidated Fund Bill and thereby an opportunity to debate it is denied, that is on the clear understanding that the business managers will provide adequate opportunities to debate fully economic matters.

I assure the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter, that the Leader of the House will not need to be reminded that that is very much in the minds of the business managers and will not be lost sight of from this side of the House.

On Question, Motion agreed to.