§ Mr. LANSBURYMay I ask the Prime Minister the business for next week?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Baldwin)Monday: Finance Bill, Report stage; London Passenger Transport (Agreement) Bill, Committee; Committee and remaining stages of the Defence (Barracks) Bill [Lords.]
§ Tuesday and Wednesday: Housing (Scotland) Bill, Report stage; remaining stages of the London Passenger Transport (Agreement) Bill.
§ Thursday: Third Reading of the Housing (Scotland) Bill; Second Reading of the Public Health (Water and Sewerage) (Scotland) Bill; conclusion of adjourned Debate on Second Reading of the Criminal Lunatics (Scotland) Bill [Lords.]
§ Friday: Third Reading of the Finance Bill.
§ During the week, if there is time, progress will be made with other Orders on the Paper.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI am not quite sure how that rather long list of business for next week will work out. The programme is evidently quite full. I should like to ask the right hon. Gentleman when he proposes to give the day that was promised to the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) and to the Noble Lord the Member for Horsham (Earl Winterton) for discussing the position that has arisen in regard to our relationships with the Irish Free State and in view of the decision of the Privy Council. I should also like to ask him whether, in making up the time-table for the future, we may have some Supply days each week until the end of the present Session. A fair number of days have still to go, and there are very important questions which we want to raise in Committee of Supply. One of those questions will, we hope, be in regard to Ministers who have not much to do, Ministers who have portfolios and nothing much to do, and Ministers without portfolios, one of whom is, we understand, to be the thought machine of the Government.
I want if I may also to give notice that we propose to put on the Paper a Motion calling attention to the failure of the Government to deal with the problem 1277 of the depressed areas and to questions connected with unemployment and employment generally. We shall ask for a day as early as we can, and I know that the right hon. Gentleman with the serried ranks behind him will welcome the opportunity and will be only too glad to give us that day.
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe right hon. Gentleman is aware of the difficulty of giving an undertaking at this time of the Session. I am entirely in sympathy with his desire to spread the Supply days. I know there are difficulties in having a large number of them together. We shall do all we can to make it easy working for him. I would remind him that there is a certain amount of legislation which must be got through, because legislation has to go to another place besides this Chamber and must be got up in sufficient time for the various bills to become law before we rise. We will do the best we can. In regard to the two or three occasions upon which the right hon. Gentleman desires debates, the best course will be for conversations to take place through the usual channels. I have no doubt that it can be arranged. We do not desire to discuss now all the subjects that he mentioned, and if he will be good enough to consult with my right hon. and gallant Friend the Patronage Secretary, we will do all in our power to fix something that will be convenient to the whole House.
§ Mr. LANSBURYI am much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman. Perhaps at an early date we may know the Government's intention as to an autumn Session
§ or the continuation of this Session. I know that that is probably asking an unorthodox question, but when we are asked to squeeze up and hurry the business we ought to know whether the Government have in mind the conclusion of this Session in say, the middle of August, or some time like that, and not to carry any of the business over till October.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI entirely agree with the right hon. Gentleman. We shall take the House into our confidence as soon as we have come to a decision, and I hope that that will not be very long. We shall have nothing to hide in the matter.
§ Mr. LANSBURYWe know that the Government will have nothing to fear and nothing to hide, but we would like to know for certain.
§ Mr. COCKSCould the Prime Minister say when we are to have a day to discuss the Anglo-German Naval Agreement or Alliance, which is very important? Can I not have an answer? Does the right hon. Gentleman not want it discussed at all? I am quite aware of his reluctance to have it discussed. Will he not give us any answer at all? It has been discussed in Paris, anyhow.
§
Motion made, and Question put,
That the Proceedings on Government Business be exempted, at this day's Sitting, from the provisions of the Standing Order (Sittings of the House)."—[The Prime Minister.]
§ The House divided: Ayes, 218; Noes, 47.
1279| Division No. 250.] | AYES. | [3.40 p.m. |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds, W.) | Browne, Captain A. C. | Cross, R. H. |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Com. P. G. | Buchan-Hepburn, P. G. T. | Crossley, A. C. |
| Amery, Rt. Hon. Leopold C. M. S. | Bullock, Captain Malcolm | Cruddas, Lieut.-Colonel Bernard |
| Anstruther-Gray, W. J. | Burgin, Dr. Edward Leslie | Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) |
| Assheton, Ralph | Burnett, John George | Dawson, Sir Philip |
| Astor, Maj. Hn. John J. (Kent, Dover) | Butler, Richard Austen | Denville, Alfred |
| Astor, Viscountess (Plymouth, Sutton) | Calne, G. R. Hall- | Duckworth, George A. V. |
| Balley, Eric Alfred George | Caporn, Arthur Cecil | Dugdale, Captain Thomas Lionel |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Carver, Major William H. | Duggan, Hubert John |
| Beauchamp, Sir Brograve Campbell | Cayzer, Maj. Sir H. R. (P'rtsm'th, S.) | Duncan, James A. L. (Kensington, N.) |
| Beaumont, Hon. R. E. B. (Portsm'th, C.) | Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Eales, John Frederick |
| Beit, Sir Alfred L. | Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. N. (Edgbaston) | Elliot, Rt. Hon. Walter |
| Benn, Sir Arthur Shirley | Chapman, Col. R.(Houghton-le-Spring) | Ellis, Sir R. Geoffrey |
| Bennett, Capt. Sir Ernest Nathaniel | Christle, James Archibald | Elmley, Viscount |
| Bernays, Robert | Collins, Rt. Hon. Sir Godfrey | Emrys-Evans, P. V. |
| Bilndell, James | Colman, N. C. D. | Essenhigh, Reginald Clare |
| Bower, Commander Robert Tatton | Colville, Lieut.-Colonel J. | Evans, Capt. Arthur (Cardiff, S.) |
| Bowyer, Capt. Sir George E. W. | Conant, R. J. E. | Everard, W. Lindsay |
| Braithwaite, Maj. A. N. (Yorks, E. R.) | Cook, Thomas A. | Fermoy, Lord |
| Brass, Captain Sir William | Cooke, Douglas | Flelden, Edward Brocklehurst |
| Briscoe, Capt. Richard George | Cooper, A. Duff | Flint, Abraham John |
| Broadbent, Colonel John | Courtauld, Major John Sewell | Ford, Sir Patrick J. |
| Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Courthope, Colonel Sir George L. | Fox, Sir Gifford |
| Brown, Rt. Hon. Ernest (Leith) | Craddock, Sir Reginald Henry | Fraser, Captain Sir Ian |
| Fremantle, Sir Francis | Locker-Lampson, Rt. Hn. G. (Wd.Gr'n) | Russell, R. J. (Eddlsbury) |
| Fuller, captain A. G. | Loftus, Pierce C. | Rutherford, John (Edmonton) |
| Ganzoni, Sir John | Lovat-Fraser, James Alexander | Rutherford, Sir John Hugo (Liverp'l) |
| Glossop, C. W. H. | Lumley, Captain Lawrence R. | Salmon, Sir Isidore |
| Gluckstein, Louis Halls | Mabane, William | Samuel, M. R. A. (W'ds'wth, Putney). |
| Goff, Sir Park | MacAndrew, Lieut.-Col. Sir Charles | Savery, Servington |
| Graham, Sir F. Fergus (C'mb'rl'd, N.) | MacAndrew, Major J. O. (Ayr) | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwell) |
| Grattan-Doyle, Sir Nicholas | McCorquodale, M. S. | Simmonds, Oliver Edwin |
| Graves, Marjorle | MacDonald, Rt. Hon. J. R. (Seaham) | Simon, Rt. Hon. Sir John |
| Gretton, Colonel Rt. Hon. John | MacDonald, Rt. Hon. M. (Bassetlaw) | Skelton, Archibald Noel |
| Grimston, R. V. | McEwen, Captain J. H. F. | Smith, Sir J. Walker- (Barrow-in-F.) |
| Guinness, Thomas L. E. B. | McLean, Major Sir Alan | Smith, Louis W. (Sheffield, Hallam) |
| Gunston, Captain D. W. | McLean, Dr. W. H. (Tradeston) | Smith, Sir Robert (Ab'd'n & K'dlne, C.) |
| Guy, J. C. Morrison | Macpherson, Rt. Hon. Sir Ian | Somerville, Annesley A. (Windsor) |
| Hales, Harold K. | Macquisten, Frederick Alexander | Spender-Clay, Rt. Hon. Herbert H. |
| Hamilton, Sir George (Ilford) | Manningham-Buller, Lt.-Col. Sir M. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Lord (Fylde) |
| Hamilton, Sir R. W. (Orkney & Zetl'nd) | Margesson, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. D. R. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Oliver (W'morland) |
| Hammersley, Samuel S. | Mayhew, Lieut.-Colonel John | Stewart, J. Henderson (Fife, E.) |
| Hanbury, Sir Cecil | Mellor, Sir J. S. P. | Stewart, William J. (Belfast, S.) |
| Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry | Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) | Stones, James |
| Harbord, Arthur | Mitcheson, G. G. | Storey, Samuel |
| Hartington, Marquess of | Monsell, Rt. Hon. Sir B. Eyres | Strauss, Edward A. |
| Harvey, George (Lambeth, Kenningt'n) | Morgan, Robert H. | Strickland, Captain W. F. |
| Harvey, Major Sir Samuel (Totnes) | Morrison, G. A. (Scottish Univer'ties) | Stuart, Hon. J. (Moray and Nairn) |
| Haslam, Henry (Horncastle) | Morrison, William Shepherd | Stuart, Lord C. Crichton- |
| Headlam, Lieut.-Col. Sir Cuthbert | Moss, Captain H. J. | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid Hart |
| Heilgers, Captain F. F. A. | Muirhead, Lieut.-Colonel A. J. | Thomas, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Derby) |
| Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel Arthur P. | Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. | Thomson, Sir James D. W. |
| Hoare, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir S. J. G. | Nicholson, Rt. Hn. W. G. (Petersf'ld) | Titchneld, Major the Marquess of |
| Hope, Capt. Hon. A. O. J. (Aston) | Nunn, William | Todd, A. L. S. (Kingswinford) |
| Hornby, Frank | Orr Ewing, I. L. | Train, John |
| Horobin, Ian M. | Palmer, Francis Noel | Tryon, Rt. Hon. George Clement |
| Horsbrugh, Florence | Pearson, William G. | Turton, Robert Hugh |
| Howard, Tom Forrest | Peters, Dr. Sidney John | Wallace, Captain D. E. (Hornsey) |
| Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Hackney, N.) | Petherick, M. | Wallace, Sir John (Dunfermline) |
| Hudson, Robert Spear (Southport) | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) | Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) |
| Jackson, J. C. (Heywood & Radcliffe) | Power, Sir John Cecil | Waterhouse, Captain Charles |
| Jamieson, Rt. Hon. Douglas | Pownall, Sir Assheton | Watt, Major George Steven H. |
| Kerr, Hamilton W. | Procter, Major Henry Adam | Wedderburn, Henry James Scrymgeour |
| Kirkpatrick, William M. | Radford, E. A. | Wells, Sydney Richard |
| Knox, Sir Alfred | Ramsay, Capt. A. H. M. (Midlothian) | Williams, Charles (Devon, Torquay) |
| Lambert, Rt. Hon. George | Ramsay, T. B. W. (Western Isles) | Willoughby de Eresby, Lord |
| Law, Sir Alfred | Ramsbotham, Herwald | Wilson, Lt.-Col. Sir Arnold (Hertf'd) |
| Leech, Dr. J. W. | Ramsden, Sir Eugene | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| Lees-Jones, John | Rickards, George William | Womersley, Sir Walter |
| Lennox-Boyd, A. T. | Rosbotham, Sir Thomas | Worthington, Sir John |
| Levy, Thomas | Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) | |
| Lewis, Oswald | Ruggles-Brise, Colonel Sir Edward | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Llewellin, Major John J. | Runge, Norah Cecil | Sir George Penny and Lieut.-Colonel |
| Lloyd, Geoffrey | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | Sir A. Lambert Ward. |
| NOES. | ||
| Acland, Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Dyke | Grenfell, David Rees (Glamorgan) | Milner, Major James |
| Adams, D. M. (Poplar, South) | Griffiths, George A. (Yorks, W. Riding) | Parkinson, John Allen |
| Addison, Rt. Hon. Dr. Christopher | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Rea, Sir Walter |
| Attlee, Rt. Hon. Clement R. | Harris, Sir Percy | Samuel, Rt. Hon. Sir H. (Darwen) |
| Batey, Joseph | John, William | Smith, Tom (Normanton) |
| Bevan, Aneurin (Ebbw Vale) | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Buchanan, George | Lansbury, Rt. Hon. George | Wedgwood, Rt. Hon. Josiah |
| Cleary, J. J. | Leonard, William | White, Henry Graham |
| Cocks, Frederick Seymour | Logan, David Gilbert | Williams, David (Swansea, East) |
| Cove, William G. | Lunn, William | Williams, Edward John (Ogmore) |
| Daggar, George | Macdonald, Gordon (Ince) | Williams, Thomas (York, Don Valley) |
| Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | McEntee, Valentine L. | Wilmot, John |
| Dobbie, William | Mainwaring, William Henry | Wood, Sir Murdoch McKenzie (Banff) |
| Edwards, Sir Charles | Mallalieu, Edward Lancelot | |
| Evans, David Owen (Cardigan) | Mander, Geoffrey le M. | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| George, Megan A. Lloyd (Anglesea) | Mason, David M. (Edinburgh, E.) | Mr. Paling and Mr. Groves. |
| Greenwood, Rt. Hon. Arthur | Maxton, James. |