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Parliamentary Costs Bill [HL]

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. The Bill is a consolidation measure. It will bring into a single statute provisions from six mid-19th century Acts relating to the costs of proceedings on private Bills of Parliament. These are: the House of Commons Costs Taxation Act 1847; the House of Lords Costs Taxation Act 1849; the Parliamentary Costs Act 1865; the Parliamentary Costs Act 1867; the Parliamentary Costs Act 1871; and the House of Commons Costs Taxation Act 1879. The Acts concern the regulation of the costs of the parliamentary agents, who are the legal advisers authorised by Parliament to act for the parties on proceedings on Private Bills. The Acts also deal with the settlement of costs between the parties. The Bill includes provision to give effect to the handful of recommendations made by the Law Commissions for some minor technical changes to the law which they consider necessary in order to produce a satisfactory consolidation. My department has consulted on the Bill and the Law Commissions’ recommendations. As always, I am very grateful to those at the Law Commissions who have worked on the Bill and to those who responded to the consultation on its content. If your Lordships are content to give the Bill a Second Reading, it will be referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills in the usual way. I commend the Bill to the House.