§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONMay I ask the Prime Minister what business the Government proposes to take at this Sitting other than the first Order of the day, and also will the right hon. Gentle man inform the House what business the Government proposes to take on Friday next?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs regards the first question, we do not propose to night to go beyond the first Order and the Report of the Land Settlement (Facilities) Amendment [Money] Resolution.
With regard to Friday, I am rather in the hands of the House about business, because, I am very anxious to give time for a discussion on the Rosyth and Pembroke Dockyards. But, owing to the position of business at the moment, it would only be possible to give Friday for that purpose if the House thought fit to take the Committee stage on Thursday, as down on the Paper, of the two Supplementary Estimates for coal and Wembley. And having in view the fact that those are the only two subjects which may be discussed on the Consolidated Fund Bill, if the House thought fit to treat the Report stage of those two Votes more or less formally on Friday, we could then have all the time on Friday that might result for a discussion on Pembroke and Rosyth Dockyards, which is a subject in which all three parties are interested.
§ Lieut.- Commander KENWORTHYDid we not understand yesterday from the Prime Minister that the matter of the Dyestuffs Corporation and the sale of the Government's securities in that corporation could be discussed on that Bill? You may remember, Mr. Speaker, that I raised the matter with you as a matter of procedure on the Consolidated Fund Bill, and the Prime Minister told me then that there would he an opportunity for the Committee to discuss that question, and you thought there would be no objection.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think the hon. and gallant Member must not have under stood me. The suggestion was, in order to give hon. Members a wider range of subjects, that the two days usually devoted to the Consolidated Fund Bill, which in this case would be limited to matters we should have recently discussed, should be taken formally or very briefly, and the remainder of those two days should be given to such subjects as that to which the hon. and gallant Member has referred and to other subjects that hon. Members might desire to raise.
§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYMay I ask the Prime Minister what opportunity we shall now have for dis- 460 cussing the sale of the Government securities in the British Dyestuffs Corporation?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI have nothing to add on that subject to what I said to the hon. and gallant Member yesterday, that I thought that, owing to the limited number of subjects in the Consolidated Fund Bill, the discussion on the Second Reading, the one I alluded to, would not be a. long one, and, therefore, the rest of the day would be available, and if there was time and a general desire that that should be discussed, there was no reason why it should not be discussed. With regard to Friday, of course, I gave no undertaking at all, because I have not been in a position until to-day to say what the business on Friday would be.
§ Captain WEDGWOOD BENNWill the right hon. Gentleman say what form of Motion he will put down to enable this general discussion with regard to Pembroke and Rosyth?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is a. matter of arrangement. Captain BENN: Will it be a Motion for Adjournment, for example, so as to give a wide scope?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think very likely. Why I hesitated at first was that I did not know whether any hon. Member wished to put it down in the form of a Motion of Censure.
§ Mr. MACLEANMay I ask the Prime Minister whether it is not the case that there is a Motion already down with regard to the shares in the British Dye-stuffs Corporation, and also whether there is not such a widespread feeling of indignation, particularly in the two places where the dockyards exist, that the time he is going to give is inadequate for the discussion of those subjects, mixed up with all the other questions?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe time may be inadequate, but it is all there is.
§ Mr. MACLEANIf it be all there is, the House can sit longer. We wasted three months in holidays. [Interruption.] I am pointing out that we have already wasted three months in holidays.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is not the time for pointing out. It is only the time for questions.
§ Mr. MACLEANSeeing that we have already had such a long holiday, and that the Prime Minister wants us to get through the business in the course of a few days, before Christmas, I take it, that is why he says the time is inadequate. Cannot we extend the Session right through the New Year, so as to have adequate discussion? We have already had sufficient holidays this year; let us get on with the business.
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI think the Prime Minister is aware of the fact that there is a Motion standing on the Order Paper in the name of the right hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs (Mr. Lloyd George) and the right hon. Member for the English Universities (Mr. Fisher), with reference to the Board of Education Circular No. 1,371, which is exciting a great deal of interest, not only amongst educationists, but also local authorities. The Motion has been on the Paper for about a week, and we asked the other day whether the right hon. Gentleman would grant time for the discussion. May I ask whether he will give us time before Christmas?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am afraid I am not in a position to say what time there will be before Christmas. I hope it may be possible to do that next week. I did notice the Motion on the Paper, but I think the discussion will be far more useful if it takes place after my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education has been in communication with the local authorities.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYOn Friday I heard the Prime Minister announce the business for to-day—I have the OFFICIAL REPORT here—as the Second Reading of the Finance (No. 2) Bill. Now I see that the first Order on the Paper to-day is the Safeguarding of Industries (Customs Duties) Bill. If it is the same Bill, why is it put down in this form, and who will be in charge of the Bill?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI thought the hon. Member for Govan (Mr. Maclean) rose to a point of Order.
§ Mr. MACLEANI think you have received a letter from me, in reply to one I received from your Secretary, pointing out a certain matter, and asking to be permitted to raise it to-morrow after Questions.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI beg pardon.