HOUSING (ADDITIONAL POWERS) BILL. (Hansard, 10 December 1919)

HC Deb 10 December 1919 vol 122 cc1497-585 1497

§ Considered in Committee.

§ [Sir E. CORNWALL, Deputy Chairman, in the Chair.]

§ Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSON
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman the Minister of Health how far he intends to proceed to-night? When the previous Housing Bill was in Committee the right hon. Gentleman showed himself to be very conciliatory, and had as his reward the fact that he got his Bill through more easily almost than any Bill passed during the last few years. Some Members of the House have actually worked in the House for over thirteen hours—since eleven o'clock — and we have got here five pages of Amendments, and I think some manuscript Amendments.
It is an extremely complicated measure, financially and otherwise. I believe when the Government decided to take the whole of the Committee stage, they thought that the Naval Debate would come to an end by dinner-time, and a Member of the Government told me it would probably be over by eight o'clock.

§ Lord E. TALBOT (Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury)
It may have been a fond hope.

§ Mr. LOCKER-LAMPSON
I am quite sure no Member of the Government thought it going on to half-past twelve o'clock. I hope my right hon. Friend will not try to take the whole of the Committee stage to-night, because it really is an outrage. The Amendments are not 1498 obstructive, and if he were to say he would take four Clauses, I am sure that in the end it would be better for him.

§ The DEPUTY - CHAIRMAN (Sir E. Cornwall)
The hon. Member rose on a, point of Order, but it did not turn out to be so, but to be an appeal to the Government. Perhaps it would be for the convenience of the Committee for the Minister to reply, but may I point out that there is no question before the Committee?

§ The MINISTER of HEALTH (Dr. Addison)
I appreciate very much what the hon. Gentleman has said and I hope he will find that I am still actuated by the same conciliatory spirit. I do not think the questions raised are really very complicated or technical and many of the Amendments are repetitions. The necessity, however, which drives me is that if this Bill is to be on the Statute Book before the rising of Parliament it must get the Third Reading on Friday and if the Committee stage were continued till to-morrow night there would not be time to have the Bill reprinted and to take the Report stage and Third Reading on Friday.
I appeal to the Committee to let us try to get the Bill to-night, as there are not many very big points involved, and I think I shall be prepared to make suggestions which will smooth the way.

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