HC Deb 20 January 1944 vol 396 cc367-70
Mr. Greenwood

May I ask the Leader of the House to tell us what the Business will be for next week?

Mr. Eden

I had, unfortunately, to tell the House at the beginning of the Session that it would be necessary for us to sit often on a fourth Sitting Day. I think it might be for the convenience of the House if I now said that we propose to sit on a fourth Sitting Day from the next series of Sitting Days until the Easter Recess. It is regrettable, but I fear inevitable.

The Business for next week will be as follows:

On the First Sitting Day—Committee stage of a Supplementary Vote of Credit, 1943, and Vote of Credit, 1944. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in moving the Vote of Credit will deal with the question of relief in areas brought under the control of any of the United Nations. If there is time the Second Reading of the Courts (Emergency Powers) (Scotland) Bill (Lords) will be taken.

On the Second Sitting Day—Report stage of the Votes of Credit. A Debate will take place on Agriculture.

On the Third Sitting Day—Conclusion of the Committee stage of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Bill; Second Reading of a special Consolidated Fund Bill for the Votes of Credit; and, if there is time, Second Reading of the Guardianship (Refugee Children) Bill (Lords), and of the Courts (Emergency Powers) (Scotland) Bill (Lords), if not previously obtained.

On the Fourth Sitting Day—Committee and remaining stages of the Consolidated Fund Bill; Second Reading of the Supreme Court of Judicature (Amendment) Bill and of the Landlord and Tenant (Requisitioned Land) Bill ((Lords).

Mr. Greenwood

May I ask the Leader of the House whether the Debate on agriculture is intended primarily as a discussion on prices or on the future of agriculture?

Mr. Eden

In the main, my right hon. Friend will, in his opening speech, deal with questions of prices and the pledge but, of course, the terms of the Vote of Credit are fairly wide.

Mr. Greenwood

I only wanted to put it for the convenience of the House, so that the House can be guided. I gather that the primary intention is to discuss the Government's pledge to farmers?

Mr. Eden

Yes, Sir, but that is in relation to the future and I would say it was primary, but not exclusive.

Sir Percy Harris

Could the right hon. Gentleman give any indication to the House when we shall have an opportunity to discuss the Motion setting up a Committee under Mr. Speaker to consider Electoral Reform? Has it not been promised for some time and is it not overdue?

Mr. Eden

I do not know about it being overdue; it is due, and I hope we shall take it the week after next.

Mr. Granville

May I ask the Leader of the House, in view of the wide range of the Debate on the second Sitting Day and in view of the fact that a large number of Members who sit for agricultural constituencies may want to intervene, whether he will extend this Debate beyond the usual time?

Mr. Eden

Yes, Sir, I will certainly consider that.

Sir A. Southby

May I ask the Leader of the House whether when he decided that the Debate on Agriculture should take place on the Vote of Credit, he considered the misunderstanding which this sort of thing causes in the country? There is a specific Motion on the Order Paper which has been much publicised and most people who read the Press and are interested in the matter expect the Debate to take place on that Motion and for a decision to be arrived at. [That this House is of opinion that the recent alterations in farm prices make inadequate provision for the payment by the great majority of farmers of the increased wages; that an unfair burden is placed on such farmers; and that farm prices should consequently be reconsidered forthwith.] Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that the habit which has grown up of having Debates not on a Motion which is plainly understood by the public but on some House of Commons procedure Motion is apt to be misunderstood and is bringing the House of Commons into disrepute?

Mr. Eden

I think the position is quite clear. We have, in fact, taken all private Members' time and therefore the discussion is going to take place on Government Business. I certainly explained that earlier in the week. If there is any misunderstanding anywhere else, I hope that what I have said will clear it up. There can be no question of our allowing private Members' Motions on this particular issue when there is Government Business to attend to.

Sir Richard Acland

Could the Leader of the House explain whether there will be any technical limitation on the range of the agricultural Debate, or if it will include other subjects connected with agriculture?

Mr. Eden

I do not think that is for me to say: it is pretty wide.

Mr. W. J. Brown

May I ask the Leader of the House when he anticipates that the Government will bring in the Bill, which they promised to bring in last Session, dealing with the pensions of retired civil servants?

Mr. Eden

My right hon. Friend informs me it is in the draftsman's hands.

Mr. Lipson

May I ask the Leader of the House, in view of the fact that the House is to sit on a fourth Sitting Day until Easter, whether it is proposed on the fourth Sitting Day that there should be Questions, having regards to the fact that so many Questions addressed to various Ministers have not been reached?

Mr. Eden

No, Sir, I cannot hold out any hope of that. It is contrary to our usual practice. There will be no Questions on the fourth Sitting Day. It is true there are large numbers of Questions on the Paper at the moment, but we have only recently resumed, and perhaps enthusiasm in that sense may conceivably flag.

Mr. Maxton

Does this mean that the Debate is to be just a sort of nonsensical meeting of no more than 20 or 30 Members?

Mr. Eden

I have every confidence that my hon. Friend will be among the faithful.

Mr. Maxton

That is what is worrying me.

Mr. Eden

When we are taking Government Business I am quite sure the hon. Member would not call it nonsensical.

Mr. Stokes

On the matter of taking Questions on the fourth Sitting Day, am I not correct in saying that the custom of not having Questions on one day was introduced at a time when we had five Sitting Days?

Mr. Eden

The hon. Gentleman is perfectly correct in his recollection. We may have to sit on five days, but at the moment we are not doing so.

Mr. Reakes

May I ask the Leader of the House Whether when we had Sittings on a fourth day attendances were very bad and whether he has any suggestion to offer to decrease Parliamentary absenteeism on the additional Sitting Day?

Mr. Eden

I am quite sure that that is not a matter on which I am called upon to make any statement.

Commander Bower

With reference to the matter of Questions, after to-day's experience would it not be better to try to solve the problem, by a little more restraint in the putting of supplementary questions?

Mr. Buchanan

The right hon. Gentleman has said it is proposed to take a Scottish Bill dealing with Courts Emergency Powers if there is time on the first Sitting Day. May I ask whether he proposes to take it late, because one or two of us want to raise not merely questions dealing with the Bill but certain administrative points in connection with the Courts in Scotland?

Mr. Eden

I will bear that in mind. I do not want to be unreasonable in the matter, but we shall have to see how we get on with it.

Mr. Buchanan

There are one or two points we wish to raise, and I hope the business will not be taken late.

Mr. Eden

I hope we shall have time, but it entirely depends on how long the earlier discussion runs.