Slow Going On Transport Bill
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From our Political Correspondent NAR. MACLEOD, the Minister responIVI sible for the progress of Government business, is keeping an uneasy eye on the Transport Bill as it lumbers its way through committee.
With a sizeable part of the working session gone, the Bill has only reached the discussion stage of Clause Three.
Admittedly, there has been a slight speed-up since consideration was resumed on January 25, but this is mainly because the Government have imposed three sittings a week on the committee in place of the pre-Christmas two.
As it is, it took a whole session for the committee to agree to have the extra meeting on Tuesday afternoons. Earlier, it was being argued that there should be fewer meetings because of the threatened transport chaos, which might stop members from attending.
A watchful eye will be kept on progress, because it is a large Bill, and still requires report and third reading stages after committee. Then it will have to go through the same processes in the Lords.
It is regarded as a vital piece of Government legislation for 1961-62, but so far Ministers cannot give the slightest hint of their timetable. Some people suggest there is no timetable, but it is more likely that the Government are too canny to show their hand at this stage.