SUMMER TIME BILL. (Hansard, 17 July 1925)

§ Sir HENRY CAUTLEY
Before moving the Amendment standing in my name, would it be convenient if I were to ask you, Sir, as to the 0063ourse you think the Debate ought to take?

§ Mr. SPEAKER
In the first place, will the House allow me to say that I think, for the credit of the House, we ought to dispose of this matter completely in the course of the present sitting. I hope I shall have the assistance of Members in all parts of the House in doing that. If the discussions be reasonably brief, it is my desire to bring before the House three main points, and there may be two other subsidiary points.
Of the three main points, the first will be the Amendment of the hon. and learned Member for East Grinstead (Sir H. Cautley), proposing to leave out Sub-section (2). The effect of that Amendment, if carried, would be to decide that there should be no extension of the period of Summer Time. If that were accepted by the House, it would, of course, dispose of the whole question, but if that be rejected by the House, I should reserve an opportunity for a short discussion and Division on two periods, the date for the beginning of Summer Time and the date for the ending of Summer Time.
If the House refuse to extend Summer Time in the spring by two weeks, there would then be an opening for the Amendment standing in the name of the Son. Member for Dundee (Mr. T, Johnston) and some other Members, if desired, proposing1 to limit the time to four months, instead of the present five months. I hope that the first Amendment in the name of the hon. and learned Member for East Grinstead, to leave out Sub-section (2), will be disposed of in a reasonably short time, in which case I should then call the Amendment in the name of the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Wells (Sir Robert Sanders), which would limit the period in the spring to the existing time.
After that, I shall call the Amendment in the name of the hon. Member for Forfarshire (Sir Harry Hope), which proposes to limit the period in the autumn to 1714 what it is at present. If either of these two later Amendments be carried, it would leave an opportunity for a Motion for a further restriction of the time, if desired. I hope the House will dispose of the Amendments and the Third Reading in the course of the sitting.

§ Colonel Sir ALEXANDER SPROT
I would like to raise this point of Order for your consideration, Sir. I wish to quote the words of the Home Secretary on the occasion of the Second Reading of this Bill. He said: The decision as to the time of beginning and the time of ending should not be taken in Committee… I propose to arrange on the Report stage for a free Division without Government Whips, first as to the date of commencement and secondly as to the data of conclusion of Summer Time."—[Official, Report, 13th March, 1925; col.1811, Vol. 181.] I contend that that points to at least two Divisions, one as regards the beginning, and one as regards the end. If I understood you correctly, Sir, and the Amendment of the hon. Member for East Grinstead be carried, we should not have an opportunity of discussing separately the time of beginning and the time of ending. Speaking for myself, I prefer the Amendment of the hon. and learned Member for East Grinstead to the original proposal in the Bill, and I would accept that if I could not get anything better. But supposing that were carried, I should still desire to have, under the pledge of the Home Secretary, an opportunity of taking the opinion of the House separately as regards the beginning and the ending of Summer Time.

§ Mr. SPEAKER
The plan I have indicated is arranged in order to carry out what is the understanding. The hon. and gallant Member clearly will vote against the hon. and learned Member for East Grinstead should he go to a Division, and then he will have opportunities separately on the two points.