HC Deb 17 March 1947 vol 435 cc37-8
Mr. R. A. Butler

May I ask the acting Leader of the House if he has any statement to make on Business?

Mr. Arthur Greenwood

If the right hon. Gentleman is referring particularly to Friday, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary informed the House last Thursday of the Government's intention to present a Bill to deal with greyhound race meetings. The Bill will be presented tomorrow, and in view of its urgency we hope that the House will agree to consider it on Friday and, if possible, pass it through all its stages. The Bill will be at the disposal of Members early on Wednesday morning. This will mean a rearrangement of the Business already announced for that day. I hope that the House will agree to take first the Motion to approve the War Damage (Increase of Value Payments) Order on Friday and then proceed with the Greyhound Racing Bill. The other Bills which I announced for consideration that day I propose to withdraw from discussion.

Mr. Butler

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will be aware that we must first see what progress can be made with the Bill to which he refers, namely, the War Damage (Increase of Payments) Order, before we can be certain how much progress can be made with the Greyhound Racing Bill. Secondly, I suggest that we must see the Greyhound Racing Bill be fore we can give any assurance that we can pass it through all stages. I must absolutely reserve the position in regard to passing it through all stages until we have seen the Bill, and realised what the position is in regard to the first Order.

Mr. Greenwood

I have said in regard to the first Order that I should not have thought it would be controversial. The Bill carries out the statement made by my right hon. Friend on Thursday, and does not depart from it in the least. I should have thought that when right hon. Gentlemen see it on Wednesday morning—it will be available in the Vote Office—they would be prepared to accept it. If the right hon. Gentleman wishes to put a question on Friday, and to suggest that we have gone outside the scope of the Bill, I will he prepared to answer.

Mr. Butler

The point is that we must have a look at the Bill.

Mr. Greenwood

Certainly.