§ *MR. KEARLEYI should like to clearly understand the arrangement that has been come to as to the discussion upon Vote 1, and what is the exact promise made by the Leader of the House. I understood the right hon. Gentleman to suggest that we could raise the general question upon Vote "A" on the Report stage, and that he would put the Report stage down early. I am told it is understood on the other side simply that the First Lord of the Admiralty is to reply on the questions we have already put on Vote 1. I want to know which of those views is right, because I distinctly understood, that the Report stage was to be put down early, in order to enable hon. Members to speak who had not had an opportunity to-night.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI think the House will have gathered that what I undertook was that some reply should be made by my right hon. Friend on the various 1496 matters that have been raised. Not a word was said by me with regard to the Report stage. I said I would gladly accept the suggestion made by the hon. Member, provided it was understood that there should be no general discussion ranging over the whole of the matters covered by the Vote, and that my right hon. Friend would be prepared to deal with the various matters that had been brought forward. That is the statement I made in response to the appeal made to me by hon. Gentlemen opposite, and I hope that will satisfy the hon. Gentlemen.
§ *MR. KEARLEYThen, I take it, it is understood that on Vote 1 in the Report stage we are not going to be confined merely to the statement in reply of the First Lord of the Admiralty. Before the new Rules were adopted I understood the practice to be that there might be a pretty general discussion on both these Votes.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI have no right to speak again, but the hon. Member has made a direct appeal to me. I think he is wrong in his view of the practice of the House. The practice is that Vote 1 should be taken after Vote 'A," and that there should not be a repetition of the discussion on Vote "A." In other words, if the general Naval policy of the Government is to be discussed at all, it is to be either on Vote "A" or on Vote 1, but not on both. There was a suggestion made on the other side that we should take Vote "A" to-night, but that, inasmuch as there were certain points not dealt with by the First Lord on Vote "A," he should be allowed to deal with those on the Report stage; but it must not be understood that there may be on the second Vote a general discussion again on matters that have been dealt with on the first Vote.
§ House adjourned at 12.5.