Mr. BALFOURPerhaps the Prime Minister can tell us what his views are with regard to the course of public business in the immediate future?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Government think it will be for the convenience of the House if we postpone till Tuesday next the consideration of the Report stage of the Finance Resolution passed yesterday which appears as the first Order today, and thus enable the time which might be occupied by the Resolution to be entirely devoted to Clauses 13 and 14 of the Finance Bill, which should pass at today's sitting. On Monday, the 16th, we propose to get the Second Reading of the South Africa Bill. On Tuesday the first Order will be Report of the Finance Resolution, and we shall after that is disposed of resume the Committee stage of the Finance Bill. Wednesday also will be given to that Bill. On Thursday we hope to take Report and the Third Reading of the South Africa Bill. The business for the following Friday will be announced early next week.
§ Lord ROBERT CECILDoes the Prime Minister contemplate finishing the Committee stage of the Finance Bill next week?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am not sanguine enough to think that.
Mr. BALFOURSeeing that we are to take the omission of Clause 12, which 660 raises points of very great importance, the whole of Clause 13 and the whole of Clause 14 to-night, may I ask the Government whether, under these circumstances, they can, with decency and propriety, proceed at noon to-morrow with the Third Reading of the Appropriation Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERClause 12, as everybody knows, is going to be postponed or omitted, whatever the precise form may be, in order that at a later stage a different proposal may be submitted to the Committee. Clause 13 is one which raises very narrow, if any controversy at all, and therefore I should imagine that most part of the sitting would be devoted to Clause 14, which I should hope would be disposed of. We attach great importance to the passing of Clause 14 this week. If it turns out to be impossible—I hope it will not be —then I am afraid we shall be confronted with the unwelcome necessity of a Saturday sitting.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINMay I ask the Prime Minister whether he will try to avoid for the future the unfortunate practice of varying at the meeting of the House the business which he has announced the clay before would be the first Order? He announced yesterday that he would take the Report stage of the Finance Resolution to-day.
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIf the right hon. Gentleman says "No," of course I will not pursue the matter.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI thought it was a private undertaking, but I am always most anxious to preserve both private as well as public undertakings. I did not announce to the House that we should take it to-day. It is only for what I believe to be the general convenience that I am postponing it till next Tuesday.
§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIf you will allow me, Sir, I should like to say I regret that it was a confidential communication. I thought it was given for the information of myself and my Friends. Otherwise I should not have mentioned it.
§ Mr. E. G. PRETYMANMay I say that I do think it is somewhat unreasonable for the Government to suggest—
§ Mr. SPEAKEROrder, order. That is not a question.
§ Mr. PRETYMANI apologise, Mr. Speaker; I forgot I ought to put it in 661 the form of a question. May I ask the Prime Minister whether he really thinks it is reasonable and fair to ask us, in view of what has passed in the course of business during the week and to-day and the hours we have sat, and considering particularly the character of Clause 14—it is within the knowledge of the whole House that it is the most important clause of the whole Bill—and that a very large number of Amendments, also of the highest importance, have been postponed till it is reached, and we cannot enter upon it for a considerable time—it is not reasonable to suggest to the House that we should finish it?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman is making a speech, not asking a question.
§ The PRIME MINISTERPerhaps, Sir, I may be allowed, by the indulgence of the House, to say, not by way of making an answer to the hon. Gentleman, but by way of supplementing what I have already said, that it is the view of the Government that it is essential that Clause 14 should be passed this week, and I do not think there is any reason why, with fair discussion, it should not be passed to-night; but perhaps I may throw out a suggestion, if I may, for the consideration of hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite, and it is this, if it turns out to be impossible within a reasonable time, after fair discussion, to pass Clause 14 to-night, we might take it tomorrow, after the two Orders, which it is essential for the Government to get, namely, the third reading of the Appropriation Bill and the third reading of the Public Works Loans Bill. Neither of them will, I think, take much time, and if hon. and right hon. Gentlemen opposite prefer to give us the remainder of to-morrow, after these two Orders are disposed of, for the discussion of this clause—[Cries of "Oh!"]—I am only throwing this out as a suggestion; I am not pressing it upon hon. Members in the least degree, and we all want to obviate, if we can, the necessity for a Saturday sitting—if hon. and right hon. Gentlemen would be disposed to devote the remainder of the sitting tomorrow to the further discussion of Clause 14, so that we could get a Division upon it at the close of the sitting, that is a course we should be prepared to adopt.
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo.