HC Deb 04 October 1938 vol 339 cc164-6
Mr. Attlee

May I ask the Prime Minister whether he has any statement to make in regard to the business of the House?

The Prime Minister

There is a Motion on the Paper (Policy of His Majesty's Government) which is to be taken tomorrow, and we are hoping that the Debate might close to-morrow night.

Mr. Attlee

I think that that time is far too short. We are facing a very grave crisis in which, I think, there should be the fullest possible debate. I certainly think that the Debate should continue until Thursday. I would ask the Prime Minister, also, what he intended should happen then with regard to the House. Did he intend that we should rise then?

The Prime Minister

Yes.

Mr. Attlee

May I ask the Prime Minister with regard to other matters of urgent business which ought to come before this House? There is, first, the question of the proposed guarantee to the new State of Czechoslovakia. We have no information at present as to the nature of that guarantee. I want to know, also, when the House will be asked to give its approval to such a guarantee, which, as has been pointed out, is an entirely new departure in policy. The second point I would ask is with regard to the loan to Czechoslovakia. Is it proposed to do that without any approval by this House? The third point I would ask is whether there are to be any Supplementary Estimates with regard to the great expenditure that has been caused by this crisis. There is also the question which is interesting the minds of the people in the country and of Members of the House, namely, the whole question of air-raid precautions, the extent to which they have been effective, and the extent to which the provisions are to be continued. There is ample work for this House and I can see no reason why, with all these questions before us, the House should depart on Thursday.

The Prime Minister

The right hon. Gentleman has put a number of points of which I have had no notice, and I think, in view of what he says, that the best thing would be for me to consider it and I will make a statement in the course of the day. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will not take that as meaning that I am accepting what he has said. I am not doing so at all, but I think it would be only courteous to give full consideration to what he has said and to whether his representations require that the House should continue to sit, as I understand is his desire, until 1st November when we were to meet again.

Mr. Attlee

I assumed that the Prime Minister would want time to make up his mind. May I ask him whether, with regard to the present Debate, he will realise that there will be an Amendment to the Motion on the Paper, and that we ought to have full time for discussion?