§ Mr. STANLEY BALDWINMay I ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how far he proposes to go to-night in the event of the Motion on the Paper being carried?
§ Mr. P. SNOWDENWe are moving the suspension of the Rule for the purpose of making progress with the Coal Bill. I understand, considering that a number of Amendments on the Paper are being revised and a good many of them may not be moved, I hope we shall be able to make considerable progress. I hope we shall be able to get as far as the new Clauses.
§ Sir PHILIP CUNLIFFE - LISTERDoes the right hon. Gentleman realise that the matters that lie between the present stage of the Bill and the new Clauses involve the whole of the procedure by which orders for central and district boards are to be established, the whole of the powers of the central and district board, which occupy seven pages of the Bill, to say nothing of about 20 pages of Amendments, the whole question of price, which has become even more important since the last Debate we had, the question of the export levy, the question about subsidiary companies which own coal mines, and the whole question of what tribunal of appeal is to be established in the interest of the consumer? Can he really say it would be in the least reasonable to enter on the discussion of any of these vital subjects at a very late hour?
Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI also should like to impress upon the right hon. Gentleman the importance of not endeavouring to keep the House up too late upon this Bill. I agree with the right hon. Gentleman that there are a great many Amendments which will probably be taken off the Paper, and there may be a great many which will take a very short time and others that do not raise very important matters, but there are at least half a dozen very important questions of principle that ought to be discussed. I do not think that there is any desire in any part of the House to do anything in the nature of obstructing. I am sure the Government are prepared to meet us reasonably, but it will be quite impossible to get on to the new Clauses to-night with the best will in the world.
§ Mr. SNOWDENThe right hon. Gentleman is quite justified in expressing the belief that the Government are anxious to give adequate time for the discussion of important points. I only expressed a hope—surely I am entitled to do that. There is no desire on the part of the Government to keep the House up very late.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am sure that the right hon. Gentleman will act exactly in the spirit of his last observation and that it is implied that if tonight we reach some stage at which we should at a late hour be entering upon some question of crucial importance, we should then adjourn our Debate. [Interruption.] The right hon. Gentleman in charge of this Bill has recently said that he is being most reasonably met in the matter of the discussions on the Bill, and I am sure that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will agree, if at a late hour we reach some question of really vital importance on principle, that we should then adjourn and that we should take any vitally important questions at a reasonable hour when they can be properly debated.
§ Mr. SNOWDENI always hold very strongly, both in opposition and in office, that very important matters, particularly matters with which the public outside are interested, should not be taken in the dead of night. We will consider the position when we see what progress is being made. I have no desire to enter upon matters which involve long arguments after midnight.
§ Motion made, and Question put,
§ "That the Proceedings in Committee on the Coal Mines Bill be exempted, at this day's Sitting, from the provisions of the
440§ Standing Order (Sittings of the House).—[Mr. P. Snowden.]
§ The House divided: Ayes, 288; Noes, 158.