§ SIR ERNEST FLOWER (Bradford, W.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury the meaning of the Resolution which he had placed on the Paper for that day.
§ The Motion was as follows:—
§ 1. Business of the House (Supply). That on this day, notwithstanding anything in Standing Order 15, Business other than Business of Supply may be taken before Midnight.—(Mr. A. J. Balfour.)
§ MR. LOUGHAnd can the right hon. Gentleman give us some indication as to the business for next week?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid he was not surprised at the Question of the hon. Member for West Bradford for the Motion was not one which was familiar to the House. The explanation was that if hon. Members should elect not to repeat on the Report stage of Supply the divisions taken in Committee, the proceedings which commenced at ten p.m. would be concluded long before midnight; and, if this Resolution were not carried, the House would have to remain idle until twelve midnight, before it could take other business. Everybody would agree that that would be a lamentable waste of time. He therefore would ask the House to pass his Resolution. In order to expedite business, they must get through the Committee stage of the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill before going to work on the Unemployed Bill, and he did not think it would be fair to ask the House to begin on the latter Bill very late at night. If they got through the former Bill at a reasonable hour, he would ask the House to take the Unemployed Bill at noon on Friday. In answer to the hon. Member for Islington, he had to say that he had more than once told the House that unless he was able to get the Third Reading of the Unemployed Bill on Monday, which necessitated the Committee stage being finished to-morrow, 103 there would be very little prospect of getting the Bill through both Houses of Parliament.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGENothing else will betaken after the Unemployed Bill?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUROh, yes; the Public Works Loans Bill and the Isle of Man Customs Bill, both of which are uncontroversial. [OPPOSITION cries of "No."] Well, the latter must be passed by this House, and it has almost always been treated as uncontroversial.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)said that, as he was anxious to facilitate the progress of the Unemployed Bill, he would not oppose the Motion of the Prime Minister.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)Will the right lion. Gentleman take the Unemployed Bill first to-morrow?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid that he would be quite content if he got the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill to-night, and in that case he would take the Unemployed Bill as the first order tomorrow (Friday). He had some reason to fear that the evening sittings on Monday and Tuesday would be largely occupied with private Bills over which be had no control. He could not, therefore, give a pledge as to Monday.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEHow about the Appropriation Bill?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURreplied that he hoped to take the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill on Tuesday.
§ MR. WHITLEYIs it the intention of the Government to ask the House to approve the Telephone Agreement?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid he had pledged himself to give some opportunity for the discussion of the Report of the Telephone Committee, and he would consider with his noble friend the Postmaster-General whether the House should be asked to say "Aye" or "No" to the Agreement.