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Bitter battle before Bill goes to Lords

24th May 1968, Page 45
24th May 1968
Page 45
Page 45, 24th May 1968 — Bitter battle before Bill goes to Lords
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• The House of Commons faces a marathon stint next week to fulfil the Government's timetable for the Transport Bill. writes our Parliamentary correspondent.

Plans were laid early this week to make it literally a day and night affair. with Report and Third Reading taken next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday— with each day's business spilling over into the following morning.

The timetable presented by the Government was for the House to sit between 3.30 p.m. and midnight on each of the three days, with overspill on Tuesday. Wednesday and Thursday mornings between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Total time involved: about 37 hours. The goodwill of the House will be pushed to its limits to accept this programme, and Ministers were standing by this week to withstand massive Conservative protests, considering the 200-odd new amendments and clauses which the Government has put down for this stage of the proceedings. The Tories are preparing to give Mr. Marsh a very hot time indeed during next week's debates. There is likely to be a non-stop session of heated and at times bitter controversy as the Bill passes from their reluctant clutches into the Lords.

Infuriated at the way new clauses have been pushed into a Bill which has been guillotined and thus barred from proper discussion on many points. well over 100 Conservatives this week tabled a motion urging a special inquiry by the Commons Select Committee on Procedure.

The Liberal party in Parliament tabled a further motion deploring Mr. Marsh's conduct in tabling so many amendments after the Committee had completed its consideration of the Bill.

And in the Lords, the Tories lie in wait to give it a further rough passage between the Whitsun and summer recesses, after which it will come back to the Commons to iron out any alterations which the Lords may have made but which the Government cannot accept.


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