§ Mr. LANSBURYMay I ask the Prime Minister if he will state the business for next week?
§ The PRIME MINISTERMonday and Tuesday: Betting and Lotteries Bill [Lords]; Report and Third Reading.
Provided that the Third Reading of the Betting Bill is obtained on Tuesday night, the position in the Depressed Areas will be debated on Wednesday.
Thursday: Consideration of Amendments to Standing Orders giving effect to those recommendations made by the Select Committee on Procedure which have been adopted by the Government, and any outstanding Business such as Lords Amendments to Bills which have already passed this House.
It is anticipated that all outstanding Business will be concluded in time to allow of Parliament being prorogued on Friday, 16th November.
The new Session will be opened on Tuesday, 20th November.
It will be noticed that no time has been allowed for the Electricity (Supply) Bill [Lords] during the present Session. This Bill will be introduced at the beginning of the new Session and passed into law as expeditiously as possible.
The following Bills will not be proceeded with during the present Session:
Diseases of Fish Bill [Lords];
Educational Endowments (Scotland) Bill;
1283 Harbours, Piers and Ferries (Scotland) Bill;
§ Mr. LANSBURYMay I ask the Prime Minister whether the Debate on Wednesday in connection with the Reports on the Distressed Areas will take place on a Motion which the Government will put upon the Order Paper, or what will be the procedure? May I also ask, if such a Motion be put down, that it may be carried over until Thursday, so that in the event of there being time we may continue the discussion, seeing that apparently the Business down for Thursday is not likely to be unduly prolonged, and that a very large number of Members representing distressed areas would no doubt like to take part in the Debate.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think the second proposition is a very reasonable one and I should be glad to give any time up to 11 o'clock that still remains to continue the discussion on the distressed areas subject, Government business, of course, having been disposed of. I assume that that was taken for granted?
§ Mr. LANSBURYCertainly.
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs regards the form of the Resolution, our minds are not at all fixed upon it. I would suggest that it might be most convenient for all sides of the House to have a Resolution: "That the Commissioners' Reports be received," or something like that, which could be moved. If the right hon. Gentleman has any views about it, or any other views are communicated through the usual channels, we shall be perfectly willing to accommodate the wording of the Resolution to the desires expressed.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI asked the question in order to find out whether the Government propose to open the discussion with a statement on the subject of the Reports. So long as that is to be done, speaking for those on these benches, I do not think we mind very much what the form of the Motion is, because there will be other opportunities if we want to say some kind things about the Government, to say them.
§ Major CARVERWith regard to the announcement about the Electricity Supply Bill, is it the intention of the Government to send it to a Select Committee?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo.
§ Mr. TINKERThe Prime Minister has expressed some doubt whether we shall get the Betting and Lotteries Bill by Tuesday night, and he left some doubt in our minds on the question of dealing with the necessitous areas. Surely, there will be no doubt about finishing the Betting and Lotteries Bill on Tuesday night.
§ Mr. LANSBURYEven if we have to sit up all night.
§ The PRIME MINISTEROne sometimes has to take precautions.
§ Mr. PIKEIn view of the large number of reconsiderations which the Home Secretary has promised on the Betting and Lotteries Bill and the possible consumption of practically the whole time allocated to the Report stage by the Home Secretary himself in the explanation of those reconsiderations, is it not possible to allocate a little further time, for the general convenience of the House, for the Report and Third Reading of the Bill?
§ Mr. LANSBURYMay I ask the Prime Minister whether it would not be possible to make an appeal to Members of the House to allow us to have a discussion on a subject of equal importance to the Betting Bill?
§ Mr. BATEYI did not hear the Prime Minister's reply in regard to the distressed areas. Are we to understand that the Prime Minister's proposal is simply to have a Debate on the receiving of the reports, or will the House have the proposals of the Government before them in debating the question next Wednesday?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThat is the question which the Leader of the Opposition put to me. The form that I suggested will be a form which necessitates the Government opening the Debate.
§ Mr. BATEYYes, but does' that mean that whoever opens for the Government will state what the Government propose to do on the reports?
§ The PRIME MINISTERMy hon. Friend must await the statement that is to be made.
§ Mr. EMMOTTWith regard to the statement of the Prime Minister on the Electricity Supply Bill, has he considered the large number of petitions recently presented to this House praying that this Bill be referred to a Select Committee, and is the decision which he has just announced final
§ The PRIME MINISTERYes, the decision that I have announced is quite final. I do not think that the House will take more than two days in considering the further stages of the Betting Bill.