§ Mr. ADAMSONasked the Prime Minister if he can inform the House what business will be taken next week, and if he is in a position to say when the House will adjourn for Christmas?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe business we propose for next week is:
The House would, I have no doubt, desire to have an indication of the views of the Government as to the future course of business and the probable termination of the Session.
- Monday, Housing Bill, Second Reading;
- Tuesday, Supplementary Estimates;
- Wednesday, Navy Estimates;
- Thursday, Coal Bill, Second Reading.
The Government recognise that a great and an almost unprecedented strain has been put upon the House. Speaking as a Member of thirty years' standing, I cannot recollect a single Session where so much hard and conscientious work has been put in by hon. Members, both in Committee upstairs and on the floor of the House.
The essential tasks of reconstruction following the dislocation of a great War rendered it necessary that an unusual number of measures of the first importance should be carried through without delay. In normal times, this legislation would have been spread over several Sessions, but the conditions here and everywhere made delay dangerous, and a good deal of the essential work of reconstruction could not be commenced without the statutory authority of Parliament. That accounts for the exceptional pressure upon Parliament in its first Session. I fear also, for the same reason, the pressure must continue through the second Session of this Parliament.
586 Having regard to the strain of the past few months, and the prospect of an inevitable repetition of it in the coining Session, the Government feel it is due to the House to close this Session as early as possible, in order to give hon. Members an interval of rest before they renew their onerous tasks next year.
We therefore propose, with the assistance of the House, to do our best to avoid an Adjournment and to secure a Prorogation before Christmas. That will necessarily involve postponing till next Session all measures which have not yet made much progress, and which the House has shown a desire to spend a considerable time in examining.
We hope to introduce the Irish Bill early the week after next, but it is obvious if we are to prorogue this year that such a measure could not be carried through this Session. The same thing applies to measures like the Hours of Employment Bill, the Education (Ireland) Bill, and the Imports and Exports Bill I doubt whether there will be time to introduce the Liquor Control Bill and the Agriculture Bill.
In order to save the time which has already been expended, we are contemplating inviting the House to alter the Standing Orders, in order to take particular measures in the next Session at the stage at which they have been carried during the present Session.
As regards the Army and Air Estimates, these are ready and will be laid in a few days. There is nothing new in them which has not already been under discussion, and I hope the House will await further discussion on Army and Air matters till the post-War Estimates are introduced early next year.
§ Sir DONALD MACLEANWhat will be the date of rising?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat will depend entirely on the progress we shall make with business. There are certain measures we must get through. For instance, the Housing Bill we must get through all its stages in order to press on, and there are certain other measures which must also be completed. I hope we might be able to rise on the 23rd December. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh, oh!"] I am certain that hon. Members would prefer going on till then to coming back after the 23rd, and for that reason I suggest 587 that we should press on before Christmas, so as to be able then to adjourn till early in February.
§ Mr. ADAMSONCan the Prime Minister inform us when the copies of the Limitation of Food Prices Bill will be available?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI understand to-morrow.
§ Mr. DEVLINIn view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman is now dropping the Irish Education Bill, may I ask what he proposes to do with regard to the teachers' salaries?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI never indicated that the Government proposed to drop the Bill.
§ Mr. G. TERRELLCan he give any indication as to the date of the commencement of the next Session?
§ Sir D. MACLEANMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will give time for the discussion, as has been understood and agreed between both benches here, for the Army and the Air Force before Christmas?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIt will be very difficult to find time if the House really desires to prorogue before Christmas. We are entirely in the hands of the House, and if the House insists upon discussions upon that and one or two other topics, it will be quite impossible to prorogue on the date named. However, we are entirely in the hands of hon. Members.
§ Sir H. NORMANCan the right hon. Gentleman say if he proposes to give only one day for the Second Reading of the Coal Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERWith the time at our disposal, I am sorry to say, there is only one day available.
§ Major O'NEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Attorney-General for Ireland stated early in the day that it was intended to take the Second Reading of the Irish Education Bill next week? Is that still the intention, and is it the intention of the Government to carry that Bill through this Session?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am afraid it will be quite impossible to carry it through this Session, if the Session terminates before Christmas, but as I pointed out, there we are entirely in the hands of the House. I did not hear what the Attorney-General for Ireland said, but. I do not think we can take the Second Reading next week.
Lieut.-Colonel A. MURRAYMay we take it that the Irish Bill will not really be formally introduced, but that there will be a day for its discussion?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIn our plans we have allocated a day for the discussion upon introduction, because we feel it is not a Bill one can introduce without explanation.