HOUSE OF LORDS - United Kingdom Parliament

8.40 The “dilatory amendment” to put off second reading for six
months is an obsolete procedure. 1
Second reading agreed to with amendment
8.41 In addition to amendments in opposition to the second reading of
a bill, amendments may be moved which do not seek to negative the
second reading but invite the House to put on record a particular point
of view in agreeing to the second reading.
Procedure on amendments to second reading motion
8.42 Notice is required on the order paper of any amendment to the
motion for second reading. If notice has been given of more than one
amendment, they are dealt with in the order in which they relate to the
motion, or, if they relate to the same place in the motion, in the order in
which they were tabled. In such cases it is usual for the whole debate to
take place on the first amendment, and the members who tabled the
other amendments speak in this debate to indicate the reason why they
prefer their own amendments. When the debate is concluded, the
Question is put on each amendment successively, or on so many of them
as need to be disposed of before a positive decision is reached. If an
amendment opposing the second reading is agreed to, the Bill is rejected
and no further Question is put. In any other case, the Question on the
original motion or on the original motion as amended is then finally put
and decided.
Motion for adjournment of second reading debate
8.43 It is also possible to move that the second reading debate be
adjourned, with or without notice or reasons. Such a motion, if agreed to,
does not prevent the motion for the second reading being put down for
a subsequent day.
Consideration in a Second Reading Committee
8.44 The House agreed in 2008, on a trial basis, that second reading
debates on certain Law Commission bills should be held in the Moses
1 Procedure 5th Rpt 2006–07.
129