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Petrol Tax (Promulgation)

Mr. Tony Baldry accordingly presented a Bill to impose an obligation on petrol retailers to display prominently at the point of sale of petrol a notice showing the percentage and amount of the cost of a litre of petrol which go to the Exchequer by way of tax and duty: And the same was read the First time; and ordered to be read a Second time on Friday 7 April, and to be printed [Bill 62].

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Northern Ireland Bill (Programme)

3.42 pm

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Peter Mandelson): I beg to move,


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    (3) If that Question is for the amendment of a Lords Amendment the Speaker shall then put forthwith--
    (a) the Question on any further amendment of the Lords Amendment moved by a Minister of the Crown, and
    (b) the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown, That this House agrees or disagrees to the Lords Amendment or (as the case may be) to the Lords Amendment as amended.
    (4) The Speaker shall then put forthwith--
    (a) the Question on any Amendment moved by a Minister of the Crown to a Lords Amendment, and
    (b) the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown, That this House agrees or disagrees to the Lords Amendment or (as the case may be) to the Lords Amendment as amended.
    (5) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown, That this House disagrees to a Lords Amendment.
    (6) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question, That this House agrees to all the remaining Lords Amendments.
    (7) As soon as the House has agreed or disagreed to a Lords Amendment, or disposed of an Amendment relevant to a Lords Amendment which has been disagreed to, the Speaker shall put forthwith a separate Question on any other Amendment which is moved by a Minister of the Crown and relevant to the Lords Amendment.

    Subsequent Stages


    6.--(1) Any further Message from the Lords on the Bill shall be considered forthwith without any Question being put.


    (2) Proceedings on any further Message from the Lords shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.
    7.--(1) This paragraph applies for the purposes of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph 6.
    (2) The Speaker shall first put forthwith any Question which has already been proposed from the Chair and not yet decided.
    (3) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown which is related to the Question already proposed from the Chair.
    (4) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown on any item.
    (5) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question, That this House agrees with the Lords in all the remaining Lords Proposals.

    Reasons Committee


    8.--(1) The Speaker shall put forthwith the Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown for the appointment, nomination and quorum of a Committee to draw up Reasons and the appointment of its Chairman.


    (2) A Committee appointed to draw up Reasons shall report before the conclusion of the sitting at which it is appointed.

    Miscellaneous


    9.--(1) This paragraph applies if--


    (a) a Motion for the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) has been stood over to Seven o'clock; but
    (b) proceedings to which this Order applies have begun before then.
    (2) Proceedings on that Motion shall stand postponed until the conclusion of those proceedings.
    10.--(1) No Motion shall be made to alter the order in which any proceedings on the Bill are taken.

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    (2) No dilatory Motion with respect to, or in the course of, proceedings to which this Order applies shall be made except by a Minister of the Crown; and the Question on any such Motion shall be put forthwith.
    (3) No debate shall be permitted on any Motion to recommit the Bill (whether as a whole or otherwise), and the Speaker shall put forthwith any Question necessary to dispose of the Motion, including the Question on any Amendment.
    11. Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) shall not apply to this Order.
    12.--(1) The Question on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order shall be put forthwith.
    (2) Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply to the proceedings to which this Order applies.
    (3) If the House is adjourned, or the sitting is suspended, before the time at which any proceedings are to be brought to a conclusion under paragraph 1, 4 or 6, no notice shall be required of a Motion made by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order.
    13. Proceedings to which this Order applies shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to the sittings of the House.

I am grateful for the co-operation of the Opposition and other parties in taking the Bill through its Commons stages today. The whole House will appreciate the reasons for the urgency with which the Government are acting. We are dealing with a serious situation. Over the next two days or so, critical decisions will need to be taken about the immediate future of devolved government in Northern Ireland. Without a substantive change in the situation, there may in a very short time be insufficient cross- community basis and support to sustain the institutions of devolved government in Northern Ireland, which is why we are bringing forward the Bill.

Mr. Michael Howard (Folkestone and Hythe): Would not the House have an even greater appreciation of the urgency of the legislation if it had sight of the de Chastelain report? Why will not the Secretary of State make it available to the House?


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