§ Mr. ATTLEEMay I ask the Prime Minister what business it is proposed to take next week.
The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald): MondayConclusion of Report stage and Third Reading of the Housing Bill.
§ Tuesday: Second Reading of the Finance Bill.
§ Wednesday: Supply (Fifth Allotted Day), Committee, Class I, Vote IV 1897 (Treasury and Subordinate Departments), upon which a Debate on defence will take place.
§ Thursday; Report stage of the Government of India Bill.
§ The business for Friday will be announced later. On any day, should time permit, other Orders may be taken.
§ Mr. ATTLEEIn view of the fact that the Minister of Health has put down a Motion to recommit the Housing Bill in respect of certain Clauses, and that there is a large number of Amendments including New Clauses in the name of the Minister, we are very desirous that there should be ample time for the Report stage and at the same time that there should be a full day for the Third Reading. It is proposed to take the conclusion of the Report stage and the Third Reading both on Monday, but if the Report stage continues to a late hour on Monday, I take it that extra time will be allotted for the Third Reading. With regard to the Report stage of the Government of India Bill, we have not had time to look through the very long list of Amendments put down by the Secretary of State. They relate to some 167 Clauses and although a number of them may only be drafting Amendments it is possible that the Report stage will occupy more than four days. With regard to a number of Amendments and a New Clause which have been put down with regard to the position of the States, embodying various terms which have been come to, I wish to ask whether it would be possible to get a White Paper setting out the exact effect of these Amendments on the relationship between the States and British India under the Bill? Otherwise it may take a long time to deal with those Amendments.
§ The PRIME MINISTERWith regard to the second question, we look upon the hon. Gentleman's suggestion very sympathetically. I have not had time to consult the Secretary of State on the matter, but I think it would be for the general convenience of the House, that a White Paper on that subject should be issued. Perhaps by Monday we might manage it but as I say the Government is quite sympathetic to the idea. With reference to the Report stage and Third Reading 1898 of the Housing Bill, I have looked at the Order Paper and I understand that the great bulk of the Amendments are on matters which have been discussed in Committee. They have been put down because of pledges given and to meet points raised by the Committee. I am still hopeful that if the House gets on with the business, we may manage to get the Third Reading of the Bill by Monday night. It is very important that the Bill should leave the House as quickly as possible in order that it may pass into law with very little delay. Although these Amendments may appear rather formidable, as a matter of fact the substance is not nearly so great as the bulk. I hope, therefore, the House will allow my announcement to remain as it is. I think it is for the general convenience and will meet with the approval of everybody concerned.
§ Mr. ATTLEEI understand that some of the Amendments raise very important questions of principle. May I also ask the right hon. Gentleman for what purpose he is moving the suspension of the Eleven o'clock Rule to-night and whether he desires that the House should situate?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, it is only a precaution. The House will remember that we have frequently moved the suspension of the Eleven o'Clock Rule, not for the purpose of having a late sitting, but solely in order that any odds and ends which may be left unfinished at Eleven o'Clock should be finished before the rising of the House. That is the sole purpose of the Government in moving the suspension of the Rule.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLWith regard to the business on Wednesday, and the debate on Defence, are we right in assuming that the Lord President of the Council will open the discussion by making a statement on the relative strengths of the British and German Air Forces and also on the measures to betaken to accelerate the expansion of the Royal Air Force?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI think it will meet the convenience and also the wishes of the House that the Lord President of the Council should open the debate and the intention is to cover generally the ground which the right hon. Gentleman has indicated.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLWill the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind—though I do not ask him to give an immediate answer upon the matter—that if a very important and necessarily complicated statement of that kind is made to the House, it is impossible that it should be done justice to in a debate which follows immediately? Will he consider, therefore, the presentation of a White Paper giving the main outlines of the statement, before the debate, or else inform us when an opportunity will be given afterwards, either on a supplementary estimate or otherwise, of discussing the matter? If a new and complicated statement is made to us in the way suggested, it is obvious that the House will not be able to deal with it in the ensuing debate in a coherent fashion.
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe right hon. Gentleman gave me no notice of this rather important question and I am afraid that I cannot answer it now.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI said I did not press for an immediate answer.
§ Sir R. HAMILTONIs there any likelihood of the scheme in connection with the Herring Industry Board being put down for Friday? It is most important that this matter should be discussed during the daytime and not late at night.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am afraid I cannot say at the moment. The business for Friday will be announced later.
§ Mr. THORNEWill the Prime Minister be good enough to advise whoever is to make the opening statement on Wednesday to read the statement made in the other House yesterday with regard to the air strength of Germany?
§
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, 258; Noes, 55.
1901| Division No. 194.] | AYES | [3.47 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lieut.-Colonel | Cobb, Sir Cyril | Gluckstein, Louis Halle |
| Adams, Samuel Vyvyan T. (Leeds, W.) | Colfox, Major William Philip | Goff, Sir Park |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Com. P. G. | Colville, Lieut.-Colonel J. | Goldie, Noel B. |
| Albery, Irving James | Conant, R. J. E. | Goodman, Colonel Albert W. |
| Allen, Sir J. Sandeman (Liverp'l, W.) | Cook, Thomas A. | Gower, Sir Robert |
| Allen, Lt.-Col. J. Sandeman (B'k'nh'd.) | Cooke, Douglas | Graham, Sir F. Fergus (C'mb'rl'd. N.) |
| Allen, William (Stoke-on-Trent) | Cooper, A. Duff | Gretton, Colonel Rt. Hon. John |
| Applin, Lieut.-Col. Reginald V. K. | Copeland, Ida | Grimston, R. V. |
| Apsley, Lord | Courthope, Colonel Sir George L. | Guy, J. C. Morrison |
| Assheton, Ralph | Cranborne, Viscount | Hacking, Rt. Hon. Douglas H. |
| Atholl, Duchess of | Critchley, Brig.-General A. C. | Hales, Harold K. |
| Bailey, Eric Alfred George | Crooke, J. Smedley | Hanbury, Cecil |
| Baldwin, Rt. Hon. Stanley | Crookshank, Col. C. de Windt (Bootle) | Hannon, Patrick Joseph Henry |
| Balniel, Lord | Crossley, A. C. | Harbord, Arthur |
| Barclay-Harvey, C. M. | Culverwell, Cyril Tom | Haslam, Henry (Horncastle) |
| Beauchamp, Sir Brograve Campbell | Davies, Maj. Geo. F. (Somerset, Yeovil) | Heilgers, Captain F. F. A. |
| Beit, Sir Alfred L. | Davison, Sir William Henry | Henderson, Sir Vivian L. (Chelmsford) |
| Benn, Sir Arthur Shirley | Denman, Hon. R. D. | Herbert, Major J. A. (Monmouth) |
| Bernays, Robert | Despencer-Robertson, Major J. A. F. | Holdsworth, Herbert |
| Bossom, A. C. | Doran, Edward | Hope, Capt. Hon. A. O. J. (Aston) |
| Boulton, W. W. | Duckworth, George A. V. | Hornby, Frank |
| Bowater, Col. Sir T. Vansittart | Dugdale, Captain Thomas Lionel | Horobin, Ian M. |
| Bowyer, Capt. Sir George E. W. | Duncan, James A. L. (Kensington, N.) | Horsbrugh, Florence |
| Broadbent, Colonel John | Dunglass, Lord | Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. {Hackney, N.) |
| Brocklebank, C. E. R. | Eden, Rt. Hon. Anthony | Hudson, Robert Spear (Southport) |
| Brown, Ernest (Leith) | Elliot, Rt. Hon. Walter | Hurst, Sir Gerald B. |
| Brown, Brig.-Gen. H. C. (Berks., Newb'y) | Ellis, Sir R. Geoffrey | Iveagh, Countess of |
| Buchan-Hepburn, P. G. T. | Elliston, Captain George Sampson | Jackson, Sir Henry (Wandsworth, C.) |
| Bullock, Captain Malcolm | Emmott, Charles E. G. C. | Jackson, J. C. (Heywood & Radcliffe) |
| Burgin, Dr. Edward Leslie | Emrys-Evans, P. V. | James, Wing-Com. A. W. H. |
| Burnett, John George | Entwistle, Cyril Fullard | Jones, Lewis (Swansea, West) |
| Burton, Colonel Henry Walter | Erskine-Bolst, Capt C. C. (Blackpool) | Kerr, Hamilton W. |
| Butler, Richard Austen | Evans, Capt. Arthur (Cardiff, S.) | Kimball, Lawrence |
| Campbell, Sir Edward Taswell (Brmly) | Evans, Capt. Ernest (Welsh Univ.) | Knox, Sir Alfred |
| Caporn, Arthur Cecil | Evans, R. T. (Carmarthen) | Lamb, Sir Joseph Quinton |
| Carver, Major William H. | Fermoy, Lord | Lambert, Rt. Hon. George |
| Castlereagh, Viscount | Fielden, Edward Brockfehurst | Law, Sir Alfred |
| Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Fleming, Edward Lascelles | Leckle, J. A. |
| Cazalet, Capt. V. A. (Chippenham) | Flint, Abraham John | Leech, Dr. J. W. |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. Sir J. A. (Birm., W.) | Ford, Sir Patrick J. | Lees-Jones, John |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hon. N. (Edgbaston) | Fox, Sir Gifford | Leighton, Major B. E. P. |
| Chapman, Col. R. (Houghton-le-Spring) | Fremantle, Sir Francis | Lennox-Boyd, A. T. |
| Chapman, Sir Samuel (Edinburgh, S.) | Galbraith, James Francis Wallace | Levy, Thomas |
| Chorlton, Alan Ernest Leofric | Ganzoni, Sir John | Lindsay, Kenneth (Kilmarnock) |
| Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston Spencer | Gillett, Sir George Masterman | Llewellyn-Jones, Frederick |
| Clarry, Reginald George | Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir John | Lloyd, Geoffrey |
| Clayton, Sir Christopher | Glossop, C. W. H. | Lockwood, John C. (Hackney, C.) |
| Loftus, Pierce C. | Peat, Charles U. | Somervell, Sir Donald |
| Lovat-Fraser, James Alexander | Percy, Lord Eustace | Somerville, Annesley A. (Windsor) |
| MacAndrew, Lieut.-Col. C. G. (Partick) | Perkins, Walter R. D. | Soper, Richard |
| MacAndraw, Capt. J. O. (Ayr) | Petherick, M. | Sotheron-Estcourt, Captain T. E. |
| MacDonald, Rt. Hon. J. R. (Seaham) | Peto, Sir Basil E. (Devon, Barnstaple) | Southby, Commander Archibald R. J. |
| Macdonald, Capt. P. O. (I. of W.) | Pickering, Ernest H. | Spencer, Captain Richard A. |
| McEwen, Captain J. H. F. | Pickthorn, K. W. M. | Spender-Clay, Rt. Hun. Herbert H. |
| McKeag, William | Pike, Cecil F. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Lord (Fylde) |
| Maclay, Hon. Joseph Paton | Powell, Lieut.-Col. Evelyn G. H. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Oliver (W'morland) |
| McLean, Major Sir Alan | Pownall, Sir Assheton | Stewart, J. Henderson (Fife, E.) |
| McLean, Dr. W. H. (Tradeston) | Raikes, Henry V. A. M. | Stones, James |
| Macquisten, Frederick Alexander | Ramsbotham, Herwald | Strickland, Captain W. F. |
| Makins, Brigadier-General Ernest | Ramsden, Sir Eugene | Stuart, Lord C. Crichton- |
| Manningham-Buller, Lt.-Col. Sir M. | Rathbone, Eleanor | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Sir Murray F. |
| Margesson, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. D. R. | Reid, Capt. A. Cunningham- | Sugden, Sir Wilfrid Hart |
| Marsden, Commander Arthur | Reid, James S. C. (Stirling) | Sutcliffe, Harold |
| May hew, Lieut.-Colonel John | Reid, William Allan (Derby) | Tate, Mavis Constance |
| Meller, Sir Richard James (Mitcham) | Rhys, Hon. Charles Arthur U. | Taylor, C. S. (Eastbourne) |
| Mellor, Sir J. S. P. | Rickards, George William | Thomas, Rt. Hon. J. H. (Derby) |
| Mills, Sir Frederick (Leyton, E.) | Roberts, Sir Samuel (Ecclesall) | Thomas, James P. L. (Hereford) |
| Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) | Ross Taylor, Walter (Woodbridge) | Todd, A. L. S. (Kingtwinford) |
| Molson, A. Hugh Elsdale | Runciman, Rt. Hon. Walter | Train, John |
| Mohsell, Rt. Hon. Sir B. Eyres | Russell, Alexander West (Tynemouth) | Wallace, Captain D. E. (Hornsey) |
| Moore, Lt.-Col. Thomas C. R. (Ayr) | Russell, Hamer Field (Sheffield, B'tside) | Ward, Lt.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hull) |
| Morgan, Robert H. | Russell, R. J. (Eddisbury) | Ward, Irene Mary Bewick (Wallsend) |
| Morris-Jones, Dr. J. H. (Denbigh) | Rutherford, John (Edmonton) | Ward, Sarah Adelaide (Cannock) |
| Morrison, G. A. (Scottish Univer'ties) | Rutherford, Sir John Hugo (Liverp'l) | Watt, Major George Steven H. |
| Morrison, William Shepherd | Salmon, Sir Isidore | Wedderburn, Henry James Scrymgsour |
| Muirhead, Lieut.-Colonel A. J. | Samuel, Sir Arthur Michael (F'nham) | Wells, Sidney Richard |
| Munro, Patrick | Samuel, M. R. A. (W'ds'wth, Putney) | Williams, Charles (Devon, Torquay) |
| Nation, Brigadier-General J. J. H. | Sanderson, Sir Frank Barnard | Williams, Herbert G. (Croydon, S.) |
| Norie-Miller, Francis | Sandys, Duncan | Wilson, Clyde T. (West Toxteth) |
| North, Edward T. | Sassoon, Rt. Hon. Sir Philip A. G. D. | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel George |
| Nunn, William | Savery, Servington | Womersley, Sir Walter |
| Oman, Sir Charles William C. | Selley, Harry R. | Wood, Rt. Hon. Sir H. Kingsley |
| O'Neill, Rt. Hon. Sir Hugh | Shakespeare, Geoffrey H. | Worthington, Dr. John V. |
| Ormsby-Gore, Rt. Hn. William G. A. | Shaw, Helen B. (Lanark, Bothwall) | Young, Rt. Hon. Sir Hilton (S'v'noaks) |
| Orr Ewing, I. L. | Shepperson, Sir Ernest W. | |
| Patrick, Colin M. | Smiles, Lieut.-Col. Sir Walter D. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Pearson, William G. | Smithers, Sir Waldron | Sir George Penny and Sir Victor |
| Warrender. | ||
| NOES. | ||
| Addison, Rt. Hon. Dr. Christopher | Grenfell, David Rees (Glamorgan) | Maxton, James |
| Attlee, Clement Richard | Griffiths, George A. (York, W. Hiding) | Owen, Major Gerenwy |
| Banfield, John William | Grundy, Thomas W. | Paling, Wilfred |
| Bevan, Aneurin (Ebbw Vale) | Hall, George H. (Merthyr Tydvil) | Parkinson, John Allen |
| Brown, C. W. E. (Notts., Mansfield) | Hamilton, Sir R. W. (Orkney Zetl'nd) | Rea, Walter Russell |
| Cleary, J. J. | Harris, Sir Percy | Samuel, Rt. Hon. Sir H. (Darwen) |
| Cocks, Frederick Seymour | Hicks, Ernest George | Smith, Tom (Normanton) |
| Cove, William G. | Janner, Barnett | Strauss, G. R. (Lambeth, North) |
| Cripps, Sir Stafford | Jenkins, Sir William | Thorne, William James |
| Daggar, George | Jones, Morgan (Caerphilly) | Tinker, John Joseph |
| Davies, Rhys John (Westhoughton) | Lawson, John James | Wedgwood Rt. Hon. Joseph |
| Davies, Stephen Owen | Leonard, William | White, Henry Graham |
| Dobbie, William | Logan, David Gilbert | Williams, David (Swansea, East) |
| Edwards, Charles | Lunn, William | Williams, Edward John (Ogmors) |
| Foot, Isaac (Cornwall, Bodmin) | Macdonald, Gordon (Ince) | Williams, Dr. John H. (Llanelly) |
| Gardner, Benjamin Walter | McEntee, Valentine L. | Williams, Thomas (York, Don Valley) |
| George, Major G. Lloyd (Pembroke) | Mainwaring, William Henry | Young, Ernest J. (Middlesbrough, E.) |
| George, Megan A. Lloyd (Anglesea) | Mallalieu, Edward Lancelot | |
| Greenwood, Rt. Hon. Arthur | Mason, David M. (Edinburgh, E.) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Mr. John and Mr. Groves. |
Resolutions agreed to.