I beg to move, That the several Amendments to Standing Orders relative to Private Business hereinafter stated in the Schedule be made:

SCHEDULE

Standing Order 84, line 1, at beginning, insert ' One clear day.'

Standing Order 120, line 8, after 'on,' insert ' the … Bill or on.'

Line 11, after first 'in,' insert 'the said Bill or.'

Line 12, leave out from 'Group,' to 'and,' in line 15.

Standing Order 129, line 13, at end, insert ' provided that any such petition may be printed, lithographed, typewritten, or written by hand.'

Line 14, after ' Provided,' insert ' also.'

Line 33, leave out from ' than,' to end of Order, and insert ' the tenth day after that on which the Bill was read the first time.'

Standing Order 132, line 6, leave out' from time to time.'

Standing Order 141, line 7, leave out from 'Committee,' to end of Order.

Standing Order 144, line 3, leave out ' either.'

Line 4, leave out from ' House,' to ' shall,' in line 5.

Standing Order 163, line 5, leave out 'presented by being.'

Line 8, leave out ' one clear,' and insert ' the second.'

Line 10, leave out ' determination,' and insert ' Report.'

Line 24, leave out ' presented by being.

Line 27, leave out ' one clear,' and insert 'the second.'

Line 30, leave out ' whichever is the later,' and insert—

'Provided that if such leave be given before the first day in February upon which the House sits, the Bill shall be laid on the Table of the House on that day or within the two days following.'

Line 30, after ' and,' insert ' that.'

Standing Order 166, line 4, leave out from ' laid,' to ' and,' in line 5.

Line 5, leave out ' Votes,' and insert ' Journal of the House.'

Line 6, leave out 'and ordered.'

Standing Order 170, line 9, leave out from ' that,' to end of Order, and insert ' the seventh day after the date of the Examiner's Report, or, if the Examiner has reported that the Standing Orders have not been complied with or has made a Special Report under Standing Order 79, after the day on which the House gives leave to the parties to proceed with the Bill or agrees to a Resolution reported from the Standing Orders Committee that the Standing Orders have been complied with.'

Standing Order 190, line 7, leave out from ' to' to end of line 9, and insert ' that the Bill shall be set down in the Private Business List for the next day on which the House shall sit.'

Standing Order 204, line 6, after ' Bill, insert ' not less than one clear day's.'

Line 7, leave out from ' Office,' to end of Order.

Standing Order 217, line 15, leave out 'seven clear days after,' and insert 'the seventh day after that on which.'

Line 16, leave out ' has been,' and insert 'is.'

Line 20, leave out from ' than,' to end of line 22, and insert ' the tenth day after that on which the Bill was read the first time.'

Standing Order 220, line 35, leave out ' presented,' and insert ' laid on the Table of the House.'

Line 36, leave out 'after the First Reading.'

Table of Fees, page 253, line 4, leave out from first 'Committee,' to 'shall,' in line 5, and insert ' on an opposed Bill.'

Line 6, leave out from 'which,' to ' shall,' in line 7, and insert ' a Committee on an Unopposed Bill.'"

I need not detain the House for more than a moment or two over these Amendments, which are mainly of a drafting nature. However, I should perhaps draw the attention of hon. Members to three points

The Amendment to Standing Order 141 will have the effect of reducing the burden on chairmen of Private Bill Committees in signing the committee copy of a Private Bill. At present chairmen have the duty to initial each page upon which an Amendment has been made. The new Standing Order requires a signature to be given only at the end of a Bill and an initial to each new Clause.

The Amendment to Standing Order 84 will ensure that details of the Amendments to be proposed by the promoters before Unopposed Bill Committees will be available for perusal two days before the Committee meets instead of the one day only.

There are also Amendments which clear up one or two obscurities relating to the use of the term "clear days" in the Standing Orders.

Question put, and agreed to.