§ Mr. GreenwoodMay I ask the Prime Minister for what purpose it is proposed to suspend the Eleven o'clock Rule, and, secondly, what will be the business for next week?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is proposed to suspend the Eleven o'Clock Rule to-night in order to obtain the Second Reading of the Ministry of Supply Bill and the Committee stage of the necessary Money Resolution, as well as the Committee stage of the Civil Defence Money Resolution. The Report stage of the Air Ministry (Heston and Kenley Aerodromes) Money Resolution, which we also propose to take to-night is exempted business.
600 In regard to the business for next week:
On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we propose to take the concluding stages of the Civil Defence Bill, which will also involve the recommital of the Bill in respect of certain Clauses, and Government Amendments. I hope it will be possible to finish the Third Reading of the Civil Defence Bill at about 9 o'clock on Wednesday, so that there will be a reasonable opportunity before 11 o'clock for the Committee stage of the Air-Raid Precautions Services Estimates, which for financial reasons, it is important for us to obtain next week.
Thursday—Second Reading of the Agricultural Development Bill, and Committee stage of the necessary Money Resolution.
Friday—Supply [9th Allotted Day, First Part], Committee. Debate on Wire Broadcasting, on the Post Office Vote.
§ Mr. GreenwoodIn regard to the business for to-night, if it should be found that there has been a curtailment of the discussion on the Money Resolution for the expenses of the Civil Defence Bill, would an undertaking be given that on the appropriate Clause there would be an opportunity for adequate discussion? As regards Wednesday, we understood before Whitsun that we were to have three clear days for dealing with the remaining stages of the Bill. If it should be thought on Wednesday that the progress made is not sufficient to warrant finishing the Debate by 9 o'clock, would the right hon. Gentleman be prepared to consider continuing the Debate until n o'clock? I appreciate his reasons for asking for the Air-Raid Precautions Services Estimates. No doubt an arrangement can be made. Finally, I would ask the right hon. Gentleman, on a point which arose during questions, when the Orders-in-Council under the Military Training Act and the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Act are likely to be published, and whether he is now prepared to undertake that proper time will be available for their discussion?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. In reply to the first question of the right hon. Gentleman, referring to the business for to-night, I can give him the assurance for which he asks. In regard to the second question on the business for Wednesday, there, also, we can give him the assurance which he asks for on that subject. 601 With regard to the third question, which had reference to the draft Orders-in-Council under the Military Training Act and the Reserve and Auxiliary Forces Act, they will be laid before Parliament next week, and I hope very much that it will be possible for them to be in Members' hands on Wednesday evening.
§ Mr. GreenwoodThe right hon. Gentleman, no doubt, is aware of the difficulties which have arisen during Question Time to-day on this matter; can he say now that we shall have an opportunity for discussion at a reasonable hour of the day?
§ The Prime MinisterOh, yes, Sir.
§ Mr. Dingle FootCan the Prime Minister say when the Official Secrets Bill will be brought before the House? The Bill has already been passed in another place. Would he say when we shall have an opportunity of considering the second report of the Select Committee on the Official Secrets Acts?
§ The Prime MinisterI cannot give any assurance about that at the present time. We must deal with war-time legislation first.
§ Mr. ManderWill the Prime Minister say when it is proposed to bring before the House the Government proposals with regard to the prevention of profiteering in armaments? Will it be before the Adjournment?
§ The Prime MinisterThat question has already been answered; I answered it myself yesterday.
§ Mr. MathersWould the right hon. Gentleman say why the poultry industry section of agriculture is being set aside for the other agricultural interests that are represented in the Agricultural Development Bill, the Poultry Industry Bill having been before us for quite a long time?
§ The Prime MinisterIt is quite impossible to take everything at once. We must have some sort of priority.
§
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, 265; Noes, 114.
603| Division No. 162.] | AYES. | [4.2 p.m. |
| Acland-Troyte, Lt.-Col. G. J. | Chapman, A. (Rutherglen) | Evans, D. O. (Cardigan) |
| Adams, S. V. T. (Leeds, W.) | Chapman, Sir S. (Edinburgh, S.) | Everard, Sir William Lindsay |
| Agnew, Lieut.-Comdr. P. G. | Chor[...]ton, A. E. L. | Findlay, Sir E. |
| Albery, Sir Irving | Churchill, Rt. Hon. Winston S. | Fleming, E. L. |
| Allen, Col. J. Sandeman (B'knhead) | Clydesdale, Marquess of | Foot, D. M. |
| Anderson, Rt. Hn. Sir J. (S[...]'h Univ's) | Cobb, Captain E. C. (Preston) | Fox, Sir G. W. G. |
| Anstruther-Gray, W. J | Colville, Rt. Han. John | Fremantle, Sir F. E. |
| Apsley, Lord | Cooke, J. D. (Hammersmith, S.) | Furness, S. N. |
| Astor, Viscountess (Plymouth, Sutton) | Cooper, Rt. Hn. A. Duff (W'st'rS. G'gs) | Fyfe, D. P. M. |
| Baillie, sir A. W. M. | Courthope, Col. Rt. Han. Sir G. L. | George, Major G. Lloyd (Pembroke) |
| Baldwin-Webb, Col. J. | Cox, H. B. Trevor | George, Megan Lloyd (Anglesey) |
| Balfour, Capt. H. H. (Isle of Thanet) | Craven-Ellis, W. | Gilmour, Lt.-Col. Rt. Hon. Sir J. |
| Barrie, Sir C. C. | Croft, Brig.-Gen. Sir H. Page | Gledhill, G. |
| Beamish, Rear-Admiral T. P. H. | Crooke, Sir J. Smedley | Graham, Captain A. C. (Wirral) |
| Beechman, N. A. | Crookshank, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. F. C. | Grant-Ferris, Flight-Lieutenant R. |
| Bennett, Sir E. N. | Cross, R. H. | Granville, E. L. |
| Bernays, R. H. | Crossley, A. C. | Grattan-Doyle, Sir N. |
| Bird, Sir R. B. | Crowder, J. F. E. | Gretton, Col. Rt. Hon. J. |
| Blair, Sir R. | Davison, Sir W. H. | Gridley, Sir A. B. |
| Bossom, A. C. | De la Bère, R. | Griffith, F. Kingsley (M'ddl'sbro, W.) |
| Bracken, B. | Denman, Hon. R. D. | Grigg, Sir E. W. M. |
| Braithwaite, Major A. N. (Buckrose) | Denville, Alfred | Gritten, W. G. Howard |
| Braithwaite, J. Gurney (Holderness) | Despencer-Robertson, Major J. A. F. | Guest, Hon. I. (Brecon and Radnor) |
| Brass, Sir W. | Dodd, J. S. | Guinness T. L. E. B. |
| Briscoe, Capt. R. G. | Doland, G. F, | Gunston, Capt. Sir D. W. |
| Brooke, H. (Lewisham, W.) | Donner, P. W. | Hacking, Rt. Hon. Sir D. H. |
| Browne, A. C. (Belfast, W.) | Duckworth, Arthur (Shrewsbury) | Hammersley, S. S. |
| Bull, B. B. | Dugdale, Captain R L. | Hannah, I. C. |
| Bullock, Capt. M. | Duggan, H. J. | Hannon, Sir P. J. H. |
| Burgin, Rt. Hon. E. L. | Duncan, J. A. L. | Harris, Sir P. A. |
| Burton, Col. H. W. | Dunglass, Lord | Harvey, T. E. (Eng. Univ's.) |
| Caine, G. R. Hall. | Edmondson, Major Sir J. | Haslam, Henry (Horncastle) |
| Cartland, J. R. H. | Elliot. Rt. Hon. W. E | He[...]gers, Captain F. F. A. |
| Gary, R. A. | Ellis, Sir G. | Hely-Hutchinson, M. R. |
| Cayzer, Sir C. W. (City of Chester) | Elliston, Capt. G. S. | Heneage, Lieut.-Colonel A. P. |
| Cazalet, Thelma (Islington, E.) | Emmott, C. E. G. C. | Hepburn, P. G. T. Buchan- |
| Chamberlain, Rt. Hn. N. (Edgb't'n) | Emrys-Evans, P. V. | Herbert, A. P. (Oxford U.) |
| Channon, H. | Entwistle, Sir C. F. | Herbert, Lt.-Col. J. A. (Monmouth) |
| Higgs, W. F. | Mitcheson. Sir G. G. | Shakespeare, G. H. |
| Hoare, Rt. Hon. Sir S. | Moore, Lieut.-Col. Sir T. C. R. | Shaw, Captain W. T. (Forfar) |
| Holdsworth, H. | Morris, O. T. (Cardiff, E.) | Shepperson, Sir E. W. |
| Holmes, J. S. | Morris-Jones, Sir Henry | Simmonds, O. E. |
| Hore-Belisha, Rt. Hon. L. | Morrison, Rt. Hon. W. S. (Cirencaster) | Sinclair, Rt. Hon. Sir A. (C'thn's) |
| Horsbrugh, Florence | Nall, Sir J. | Smith, Bracewall (Dulwich) |
| Howitt, Dr. A. B. | Neven-Spence, Major B. H. H. | Smith, Sir R. W. (Aberdeen) |
| Hudson, Capt. A. U. M. (Haok., N.) | Nicholson, G. (Farnham) | Snadden, W. McN. |
| Hunloke, H. P. | Nicolson, Hon. H. G. | Somerset, T. |
| Hunter, T. | O'Connor, Sir Terence J. | Somervell, Rt. Hon. Sir Donald |
| Hurd, Sir P. A. | O'Neill, Rt. Hon. Sir Hugh | Somerville, Sir A. A. (Windsor) |
| James, Wing-Commander A. W. H. | Orr-Ewing, I. L | Southby, Commander Sir A. R. J. |
| Jarvis, Sir J. J. | Palmer, G. E. H. | Spears, Brigadier-General E. L. |
| Jennings, R. | Patrick, C. M. | Spens. W. P. |
| Jones, L. (Swansea W.) | Peake, D. | Stanley, Rt. Hon. Oliver (W'm'ld) |
| Keeling, E. H. | Perkins, W. R. D. | Stewart, J. Henderson (Fife, E.) |
| Kellett, Major E. O. | Peters, Dr. S. J. | Storey, S. |
| Kerr, Colonel C. I. (Montrose) | Petherick, M. | Strauss, H. G. (Norwich) |
| Kerr, H. W. (Oldham) | Pickthorn, K. W. M. | Strickland, Captain W. F |
| Kerr, Sir J. Graham (Scottish Univ.) | Pilkington, R. | Sueter, Rear-Admiral Sir M. F. |
| Keyes, Admiral of the Fleet Sir R. | Ponsonby, Col. C. E. | Sutcliffe, H. |
| Knox, Major-General Sir A. W. F. | Raikes, H. V. A. M. | Taylor, Vice-Adm. E. A. (Padd., S.) |
| Lamb, Sir J. Q. | Ramsay, Captain A. H. M. | Thomas, J. P. L. |
| Lambert, Rt. Hon. G. | Ramsbotham, Rt. Hon. H. | Touche, G. C. |
| Lancaster, Captain C. G. | Ramsden, Sir E. | Tree, A. R. L. F. |
| Leighton, Major B. E. P. | Rankin, Sir R. | Tryon, Major Rt. Hon. G. C. |
| Levy, T. | Rathbone, Eleanor (English Univ's.) | Tufnell, Lieut.-Commander R. L. |
| Lewis, O. | Rathbone, J. R. (Bodmin) | Turton, R. H. |
| Lindsay, K. M. | Rawson, Sir Cooper | Walker-Smith, Sir J. |
| Lipson, D. L. | Reed, A. C. (Exeter) | Wallace, Capt. Rt. Hon. Euan |
| Llewellin, Colonel J. J. | Reid, W. Allan (Derby) | Ward, Lieut.-Col. Sir A. L. (Hull) |
| Lloyd, G. W. | Remer, J. R. | Ward, Irene M. B. (Wallsend) |
| Locker-Lam[...]son, Comdr O. S. | Rickard, G. W. (Skipton) | Wardlaw-Milne, Sir J. S |
| Loftus, P. C. | Roberts, W. (Cumberland, N.) | Warrander, Sir V. |
| Mabane, W. (Huddersfield) | Ropner, Colonel L. | Waterhouse, Captain C. |
| McEwen, Capt. J. H. F. | Rosbotham, Sir T. | Webbe, Sir W. Harold |
| McKie, J. H. | Ross Taylor, W. (Woodbridge) | Wedderburn, H. J. S. |
| Macmillan, H. (Stockton-on-Tees) | Rowlands, G. | Wells, Sir Sydney |
| Macnamara, Lt.-Col. J, R. J. | Royds, Admiral Sir P. M. R. | White, H. Graham |
| Macquisten, F. A. | Russell, Sir Alexander | Whiteley, Major J. P. (Buckingham) |
| Makins, Brigadier-General Sir Ernest | Russell, R. J. (Eddisbury) | Williams, C. (Torquay) |
| Mander, G. le M. | Salmon, Sir I. | Williams, Sir H. G. (Croydon, S.) |
| Manningham-Buller, Sir M. | Salt, E. W. | Windsor-Clive, Lieut.-Colonel G. |
| Margesson, Capt. Rt. Hon. H. D. R. | Salter, Sir J. Arthur (Oxford U.) | Winterton, Rt. Hon. Earl |
| Markham, S. F. | Samuel, M. R. A. | Wise, A. R. |
| Marsden, Commander A. | Sandeman, Sir N. S. | Womersley, Sir W. J. |
| Maxwell, Hon. S. A. | Sandys, E. D. | Wright, Wing-Commander J. A. C. |
| Mellor, Sir J. S. P. (Tamworth) | Schuster, Sir G. E. | York, C. |
| Mills, Sir F. Leyton, E.) | Scott, Lord William | Young, A. S. L. (Partick) |
| Mills, Major J. D. (New Forest) | Seely, Sir H. M. | |
| Mitchell, Sir W. Lane (Streatham) | Selley, H. R. | TELLERS FOR THE AYES.— |
| Mr. Munro and Mr. Grimston. | ||
| NOES. | ||
| Adams, D. (Cornell) | Garro Jones, G. M. | McEntee, V. La T. |
| Adamson, W. M. | Green, W. H. (Deptford) | McGhee, H. G. |
| Alexander, Rt. Hon. A. V. (H'lsbr.) | Greenwood, Rt. Hon. A. | MacLaren, A. |
| Ammon, C. G. | Granted, D. R. | Maclean, N. |
| Banfield, J. W. | Griffiths, G. A. (Hemsworth) | Marshall, F. |
| Barnes, A. J. | Griffiths, J. (Llanelly) | Maxton, J. |
| Batey, J. | Guest. Dr. L. H. (Islington, N.) | Messer, F. |
| Bellenger, F. J. | Hall, G. H. (Aberdare) | Milner, Major J. |
| Benn, Rt. Hon. W. W. | Hall, J, H. (Whitechapel) | Montague, F. |
| Benson, G. | Hayday, A. | Morgan, J. (York, W.R., Doncaster) |
| Bevan, A. | Henderson, A. (Kingswinford) | Morrison, Rt. Hon. H. (Hackney, S.) |
| Brown, C. (Mansfield) | Henderson, T. (Tradeston) | Morrison, R. C. (Tottenham, N.) |
| Buchanan, G. | Herbert, Lt.-Col. J. A. (Monmouth) | Noel-Baker, P. J. |
| Burke, W. A. | Hills, A (Pontefract) | Paling, W. |
| Charleton, H. C. | Hopkin, O. | Parker, J. |
| Cluse, W. S. | Isaacs, G. A. | Parkinson, J. A. |
| Collindridge, F. | dagger, J. | Pearson, A. |
| Cove, W. G. | Jenkins, A. (Pontypool) | Pathiek-Lawrence, Rt. Hon. F. W |
| Cripps, Hon. Sir Stafford | Jenkins, Sir W. (Neath) | Poole, C. C. |
| Daggar, G | John, W. | Quibell, D. J.K |
| Dalton, G. | Jones, A.C. (Shipley) | Richards, R.(Wrexham) |
| Davidson, J. J. (Maryhill) | Kennedy, Rt. Hon. T | Riley, B. |
| Davies, S. O. (Merthyr) | Kirby. B. V | Ritson, J. |
| Day, H | Kirkwood, D. | Robinson, W. A. (St. Helens) |
| Ede, J.C | Lathan, G | Salters, Dr. A. (Bermondsey) |
| Edwards, A. (Middlesbrough E.) | Lawson, J. J | Sanders, W. S. |
| Edwards, Sir C. (Bedwellty) | Leach, W. | Sexton. T. M. |
| Fletcher, Lt.-Comdr. R.T.H | Leonard, W | Shinwell, E. |
| Gallacher, W | Leslie, J. R | Silverman, S. S. |
| Gardner, B.W | Macdonald, G.(Ince) | Simpson, F, B. |
| Sloan, A | Taylor, R. J (Morpeth) | Williams, E. J. (Ogmore) |
| Smith, Ben (Rotherhithe) | Thorne, W. | Williams, T. (Don Valley) |
| Smith, E. (Stoke) | Tinker, J. J. | Wilton, C. H. (Attercliffe) |
| Smith, Rt. Hon. H. B. Lees- (K'ly) | Tomlintson, G. | Wilmot, J. |
| Smith, T. (Normanton) | Viant, S. P. | Windsor, W. (Hull, G.) |
| Stephen, C. | Walker, J. | Woods, G. S. (Finsbury) |
| Stewart, W. J. (H'ght'n-le-Sp'ng) | Wa[...]kins, F. C. | Young, Sir R. (Newton) |
| Stokes, R. R. | Westwood, J. | |
| Strauss, Q. R. (Lambeth, N.) | Whiteley, W. (Blaydon) | TELLERS FOR THE NOES.— |
| Mr. Groves and Mr. Mathers. |
Resolution agreed to.