HL Deb 14 March 1940 vol 115 cc861-2

4.10 p.m.

LORD SNELL

My Lords, I beg to ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House a question of which I have given him private notice. Is he in a position to say what the arrangements will be for the Easter Recess?

EARL STANHOPE

My Lords, as I have already informed your Lordships, it is proposed that the House should adjourn for the Easter Recess on Thursday next, March 21, on which day there will be a Royal Commission, and Parliament will reassemble on Tuesday, April 2. Perhaps I might take this opportunity of telling your Lordships what are the proposals for business next week. It will be unnecessary to have a meeting to-morrow, as I had suggested might be required, because I understand there will be no Amendments on the Rating and Valuation Bill, so that the Committee stage of that Bill will be purely formal, and I propose that it should be taken on Monday. I propose to put down for Monday next a Motion to give; Government business precedence until the Easter Recess and to allow more than one stage of a Bill to be taken on the same clay. On that day, Monday, we propose to take the Committee stage of the Old Age and Widows' Pensions Bill and also, as I have already announced, the Committee stage of the Rating and Valuation (Postponement of Valuations) Bill.

On Tuesday we propose to take the Third Reading of the Rating and Valuation Bill and the Report stage and Third Reading of the Old Age and Widows' Pensions Bill, unless there are no Amendments and the Report stage is taken on Monday. There will also be on Tuesday, a Government statement on the general situation of the war, similar to statements which have been made on previous occasions. On Wednesday there will be Lord Snell's Motion on Colonial development policy, and on Thursday we propose to take all stages of the Consolidated Fund Bill, followed by a Royal Commission. I propose that the House should meet at four o'clock on each day, except Thursday when it is expected that we shall meet at a quarter before twelve.

LORD SNELL

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his statement. It may be for the convenience both of the noble Earl himself and of the House generally, if I say that on Tuesday, after the Government's statement, there may possibly be some discussion on the general situation.