TRANSPORT BILL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25246, 26 July 1947, Page 9

TRANSPORT BILL

20 HOUR DEBATE IN COMMONS MANY AMENDMENTS BY LORDS REJECTED LONDON, July 24. The clocks were striking 11 this morning when weary, dishevelled members of the House of Commons left the House after sitting continuously for 20 hours 20 minutes in an all-night debate of the Government’s Transport Bill. The House had risen at 10.50 a.m. after a session which was just 57 minutes short of the record for this Parliament. Conservative members fought a bitter last-ditch battle in support of the changes made by their majority in the House of Lords to the Bill, which nationalises Britain’s road haulage, railway, and canal systems. The debate began on Wednesday afternoon, when Mr Barnes announced that there were 242 amendments. There were 10 major issues involving 42 amendments on which the Government would ask the House to disagree with the House of Lords. He would advise acceptance of the other 200 amendments representing drafting changes, points of agreement, or points on which he had given pledges. Important House of Lords amendments rejected were those imposing limitations on the Minister’s powers of direction, limitations in the Minister’s power to appoint executives, increasing from 40 to 80 miles the distance defined as long-distance road haulage, and amendments to the procedure for inquiries. The debate on the Transport Bill concluded at 10.19 a.m.. and the remainder of the time was spent in listening to the Minister of Pensions (Mr J. B. Hynd) urging the Home Secretary (Mr Chuter Ede) to lift toe ban on mid-week dog racing—to the accompaniment of barking noises from another member. The House met again at 12.30 p.m. The record for a House of Commons sitting is 41 hours and a half in 1881. The political correspondent of the “Evening News” says he expects that the House of Lords will give way on the Transport Bill amendments, thus making the nationalisation of transport effective next year.