Banking (Special Provisions) Bill

I beg to move,"That the following provisions shall apply to the Banking (Special Provisions) Bill:""Timetable ""1.—(1) Proceedings on Second Reading, in Committee, on consideration and on Third Reading shall be completed at this day's sitting in accordance with the following provisions of this paragraph.""(2) Proceedings on Second Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 8 p.m.""(3) Proceedings in Committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 10.30 p.m.""(4) Proceedings on consideration and on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at midnight.""Timing of proceedings and Questions to be put ""2.—(1) As soon as the proceedings on the Motion for this Order have been concluded, the Order for the Second Reading of the Bill shall be read.""(2) When the Bill has been read a second time—""(a) it shall (notwithstanding Standing Order No. 63 (Committal of bills not subject to a programme order)) stand committed to a Committee of the whole House without any Question being put;""(b) proceedings on the Bill shall stand postponed while the Question is put, in accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 52 (Money resolutions and ways and means resolutions in connection with bills), on any financial resolution relating to the Bill;""c) on the conclusion of proceedings on any financial resolution relating to the Bill, proceedings on the Bill shall be resumed and the Speaker shall leave the Chair whether or not notice of an Instruction has been given.""3.—(1) On the conclusion of proceedings in Committee, the Chairman shall report the Bill to the House without putting any Question.""(2) If the Bill is reported with amendments, the House shall proceed to consider the Bill as amended without any Question being put.""4. For the purpose of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph 1, the Chairman or Speaker shall forthwith put the following Questions (but no others)—""(a) any Question already proposed from the Chair;""(b) any Question necessary to bring to a decision a Question so proposed;""(c) the Question on any amendment moved or Motion made by a Minister of the Crown;""(d) any other Question necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded.""5. On a Motion so made for a new Clause or new Schedule, the Chairman or Speaker shall put only the Question that the Clause or Schedule be added to the Bill.""6. If two or more Questions would fall to be put under paragraph 4(d) in relation to successive provisions of the Bill, the Chairman shall instead put a single Question in relation to those provisions.""Consideration of Lords Amendments ""7.—(1) Any Lords Amendments to the Bill shall be considered forthwith without any Question being put.""(2) Proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendments shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.""8.—(1) This paragraph applies for the purpose of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph 7.""(2) The Speaker shall first put forthwith any Question already proposed from the Chair and not yet decided.""(3) If that Question is for the amendment of a Lords Amendment the Speaker shall then put forthwith—""(a) a single Question on any further Amendments to 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) a single Question on any Amendments 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—""(a) agreed or disagreed to a Lords Amendment, or""(b) disposed of an Amendment relevant to a Lords Amendment which has been disagreed to, the Speaker shall put forthwith a single Question on any Amendments moved by a Minister of the Crown and relevant to the Lords Amendment.""Subsequent stages ""9.—(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 (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.""10.—(1) This paragraph applies for the purpose of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with paragraph 9.""(2) The Speaker shall first put forthwith any Question which has 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 or relevant to any of the remaining items in the Lords Message.""(5) The Speaker shall then put forthwith the Question that this House agrees with the Lords in all the remaining Lords Proposals.""Reasons Committee ""11.—(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.""(3) Proceedings in the Committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion 30 minutes after their commencement.""(4) For the purpose of bringing any proceedings to a conclusion in accordance with sub-paragraph (3), the Chairman shall—""(a) first put forthwith any Question which has been proposed from the Chair but not yet decided, and""(b) then put forthwith successively Questions on Motions which may be made by a Minister of the Crown for assigning a Reason for disagreeing with the Lords in any of their Amendments.""(5) The proceedings of the Committee shall be reported without any further Question being put.""Miscellaneous ""12. Paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply so far as necessary for the purposes of this Order.""13.—(1) The proceedings on any Motion made by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.""(2) Paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply to those proceedings.""14. Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) shall not apply in relation to any proceedings to which this Order applies.""15.—(1) No Motion shall be made, except by a Minister of the Crown, to alter the order in which any proceedings on the Bill are taken or to recommit the Bill.""(2) The Question on any such Motion shall be put forthwith.""16.—(1) No dilatory Motion shall be made in relation to proceedings to which this Order applies except by a Minister of the Crown.""(2) The Question on any such Motion shall be put forthwith.""17. The Speaker may not arrange for a debate to be held in accordance with Standing Order No. 24 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) at this day's sitting, or at the sitting on Thursday 21st February, before the conclusion of any proceedings to which this Order applies.""18.—(1) Sub-paragraph (2) applies if the House is adjourned, or the sitting is suspended, before the conclusion of any proceedings to which this Order applies.""(2) No notice shall be required of a Motion made at the next sitting by a Minister of the Crown for varying or supplementing the provisions of this Order.""19. Proceedings to which this Order applies shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to the sittings of the House.""20.—(1) Any private business which has been set down for consideration at 7 p.m. at this day's sitting or at 3 p.m. at the sitting on Thursday 21st February (as the case may be) shall, instead of being considered as provided by Standing Orders, be considered at the conclusion of the proceedings on the Bill at this day's sitting or at the sitting on Thursday 21st February (as the case may be).""(2) Paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply to the private business for a period of three hours from the conclusion of the proceedings on the Bill or, if those proceedings are concluded before the moment of interruption, for a period equal to the time elapsing between 7 p.m. or 3 p.m. (as the case may be) and the conclusion of those proceedings.""21. The Speaker shall not adjourn the House at the sitting on Thursday 21st February until—""(a) any Message from the Lords on the Bill has been received;""(b) he has reported the Royal Assent to any Act agreed upon by both Houses." The House will realise that the Banking (Special Provisions) Bill is being introduced in exceptional circumstances. The Chancellor made it clear in his statement yesterday that Northern Rock will be brought into temporary public ownership and explained the reasons for that decision. We will have the opportunity to discuss those exceptional circumstances, and the interests of protecting the financial stability of the banking system while protecting the interests of the taxpayer, as part of the debate on the Bill. I want briefly to make a couple of points on the programme motion. I think that the House will understand the importance of reaching a conclusion on this Bill as quickly as possible. Shares have been suspended, and it is now in everyone's interests for the transfer of shares to be effected as swiftly as possible to avoid any greater uncertainty or unnecessary delay for the bank, and for the bank to have clarity about its position and the way forward. Of course, we also need to set out the details for the scrutiny of the Bill and to ensure that the business motion provides for business to be extended to midnight this evening. Members have been able to table amendments since yesterday evening, and the amendments that are selected will be taken during the Bill's Committee stage this evening. I commend the motion to the House.