BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 21 December 1915)

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF CREWE)
My Lords, I move that Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered in order to its being suspended for the remainder of the week. In making this Motion I desire to mention one fact connected with the business of the House, and concerned, indeed, with the suspension of the Standing Order. It is with regard to the Munitions of War (Amendment) Bill, which, as I understand, cannot reach your Lordships' House until Thursday. My noble friend the Paymaster-General will state what in the opinion of the Minister of Munitions is the extreme urgency of this Bill, and he will ask, as I understand, that it may be passed before we adjourn so as to avoid 746 the delay which would be caused by its being postponed until after our short recess. I hope that when you have heard what my noble friend has to say the House will agree to that course being taken. So far as the remaining business of the House until the adjourn ent is concerned, I think your Lordships have already been sufficiently informed as to the course which we propose to take.

§ THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL (LORD NEWTON)
My Lords, with reference to what has fallen from my noble friend the Leader of the House, perhaps I may be permitted to say, as I have been deputed to take charge of the Munitions of War (Amendment) Bill, that I saw Mr. Lloyd George this afternoon and he expressed a strong hope that your Lordships would consent to pass the Bill through all its stages on Thursday next. I quite realise that this is making a somewhat unprecedented demand upon your Lordships' House, but I venture to do so upon the ground that I am assured by the Minister of Munitions that it is all-important that this Bill should come into force at the earliest possible moment. In fact, he authorised me to state that any delay in the passage of the Bill might result in delay in the production of what is urgently needed—namely, machine guns, heavy guns, heavy projectiles, and many other munitions of the same description. Therefore I venture to support what has been said by my noble friend in the hope that the course proposed may be acceded to.

THE MARQUESS OF CREWE
Perhaps I might add that supposing it should meet the convenience of the House to assemble at an earlier hour than usual on Thursday in order to be able to examine this measure more fully, we should be quite prepared to fall in with some such suggestion.

§ EARL ST. ALDWYN
I do not rise to offer any objection to what has been suggested, but I think His Majesty's Government, as usual, are rather hard on your Lordships' House. There has been very great delay in the passage of this Bill through another place; and the result of that delay, which was not your Lordships' fault, is that we are asked to pass a very important Bill through all its stages in a 747 single day. I must say I do not think it is fair, but I should be very sorry to raise any objection to the course proposed having regard to what the noble Marquess has said.

§ LORD NEWTON
With the permission of the House, perhaps I may be allowed to inform the noble Earl that it was explained to me by the Minister of Munitions that the delay which has arisen in the House of Commons was due to the difficulty experienced in coming to terms both with employers and employed. Nobody regrets the delay more than does my right hon. friend, but that is the reason why the Bill comes up to your Lordships' House at so late a stage.