§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, before we come to the business upon the Paper, I should like to ask the noble Marquess who leads the House whether he is in a position to make a statement as to future business, and particularly as to the Report stage of the Local Government Bill.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)My Lords, I had thought that it was well understood in your Lordships' House that we were going to ask the House to be so good as to consider the Report stage of the Local Government Bill on Thursday, March 14, but I hear murmurs of a certain doubt about it. I hope, however, that it is quite understood. In order to give the House ample time for the discussion of the Report stage, I was going to ask if your Lordships would be willing to sit after dinner on Thursday, if that be necessary. I do not anticipate 396 a very long discussion upon that stage. Undoubtedly there are a considerable number of Amendments to be inserted, but most of them are agreed Amendments and are not likely to lead to discussion. In case we find ourselves plunged into long discussion, I was going to ask the House to be so very good as to sit after dinner on that day if necessary.
§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, I agree with what the noble Marquess has said, and I see no reason why the discussion should be a long one. I have been trying up to now to get a copy of the Bill as reprinted with the Amendments inserted in it. I am told that it is now available, but I came down to the House on purpose to get a copy and I failed. I am not quite sure whether on the Report stage, as a, matter of practice if not of order, Amendments have to be put down beforehand in order that they may be considered by your Lordships. I do not know whether any objection will be raised to the form of the Amendments or to the fact that they are stated to your Lordships at the time when they are moved, but we have only to-morrow, and clearly the opportunities for formulating and printing Amendments are very limited.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI can only give my opinion for what it is worth. There is no rule of order against moving Amendments without notice on the Report stage, but undoubtedly the practice of the House is to give notice, and it is a very convenient practice, for it is very difficult for your Lordships to discuss manuscript Amendments without having an opportunity of considering them. At the same time I understand that the reprinted Bill is actually in the Vote Office now, and has been there, I think, for some hours. The noble Lord has pointed out that he has only one day in which to consider it, but I am quite certain that a man of his industry does not employ only the daylight hours in which to consider a measure, and therefore I have no doubt that he will make himself familiar with the new additions to the Bill to-night, and that will leave to-morrow in which to formulate Amendments.
§ LORD PARMOORI do not raise any objection if I can be sure of one thing.
397 Supposing one does study the Bill sufficiently to formulate Amendments to-morrow for the Report stage, if such Amendments are sent in before to-morrow night will they be printed in time for the sitting on Thursday?
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYOh, yes.