BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 4 March 1940)

§ Mr. Arthur Greenwood
May I ask the Prime Minister for what purpose it is proposed to suspend the Eleven O'clock Rule?

§ The Prime Minister
It is necessary to conclude the Committee stage of the Old Age Pensions Bill to-day in view of the desirability of passing the Bill into law by Easter. Conversations have taken place through the usual channels and I am glad to say agreement has been reached with regard to the progress of the Bill as follows:
Amendments to Clauses 10 and 11 and as many as possible of the Amendments to remaining Clauses of the Bill should be reserved for consideration at a later stage. We should enter upon consideration of the Second Schedule not later than 5 o'clock which will give time for discussion of the important issues arising on this Schedule. I hope this arrangement will commend itself to hon. Members in all parts of the House and that they will be willing to co-operate in carrying it out.

§ Mr. Greenwood:
I must say that nobody can accuse my right hon. and hon. Friends on this side of being guilty of any fractious opposition on this stage. We have acted with commendable restraint but in view of the very widespread indignation in the country and, in the opinion of my hon. Friends on this side, we have had, naturally, to devote as much time as the House would permit to discussion of the household means test in its realistic aspects. For what we have 31 done in that matter we have no apologies to make. The principle, of course, has now been settled against us but it does not alter our opinion about it and our views now are stronger than they were when we entered into discussions on the Bill, not merely because of the extension of the principle in the Bill, but because it may create another precedent for the extension of the household means test to soldiers' dependants.
On the other hand, as has been said in the Debates, far be it from us to deny any old man or woman even a meagre fraction and, therefore, we would not desire to take steps to prevent the Government from passing the Bill before Easter. The reason we are entering into a very difficult arrangement from our point of view is because we believe that on Schedule 2, to which we have a series of Amendments designed to mitigate the harshness of the household means test, we should have a discussion at a reasonable hour of the day and if under the arrangement suggested by the Prime Minister we might have a discussion on the Second Schedule, with the right to express our views freely and vote in the Division Lobby, then I say that although this is a rather hard bargain for us and, perhaps, for the Government, we are prepared to accept the arrangement.

§ Sir Archibald Sinclair
My hon. Friends also feel strongly about this Bill. We have a number of Amendments down to those Clauses on which it is proposed to omit discussion. We agree, however, with the proposal which the Prime Minister has made, and which the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Wakefield (Mr. Greenwood) has supported, but we have agreed on the understanding that these Amendments which are not going to be discussed on the Committee stage, should have, so far as possible, facilities for discussion on the Report stage. We hope that this general feeling may come to your knowledge, Mr. Speaker, and may influence your choice of Members when we come to that stage of the Bill.

Mr. Davidson
Having put down one or two Amendments myself to Clause 10 on behalf of the Scottish local authorities, I think this arrangement through the usual channels is a perfect disgrace and that the Opposition ought not to be stultified 32 by any threats of the Government in any way or shape.