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MPs debate Private Members’ Bills

29 June 2009 (updated on 22 April 2010)

Image of UK Parliament portcullis

The Commons debated a number of Private Members' Bills, starting with the third reading of the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Bill.

The Bill - which now moves to the Lords - would give the trustees of various public museums in Britain the power to return artefacts or cultural objects currently held in their collections, stolen by or on behalf of the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945, to the lawful owners or their heirs. It is sponsored by Andrew Dismore, Labour MP for Hendon.

The Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Bill, sponsored by Willie Rennie, Lib Dem MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, also passed its third reading and now moves to the Lords.

The main purpose of the Bill is to address the concern that it can take a minimum of 45 days between the Registrar notifying an Approved Driving Instructor that that instructor may be removed from the Register of Approved Driving Instructors, and the removal taking effect. This has led to at least one case in which a driving instructor who had been convicted of a sexual offence involving a pupil was able to continue giving instruction while the deregistration process continued.

The Bill would enable the Registrar to suspend an instructor’s registration at the same time as informing the instructor of the proposed removal from the register.

Progress on other private members bills was postponed.