HC Deb 25 July 1946 vol 426 cc223-7
Mr. Churchill

May I ask the Leader of the House, whether he can give us any idea of the Business for next week?

Mr. H. Morrison

Yes, Sir. The Business will be as follows:

Monday, 29th July—Supply (20th allotted day), Report. The Estimate for the Control Office for Germany and Austria will be considered.

At 9.30 p.m., the Report stage of all outstanding Votes will be put from the Chair.

Consideration of Lords Amendments to the National Insurance Bill and to the Civil Aviation Bill.

Tuesday, 30th July—Second Reading of the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill, Debate on Housing, Consideration of Lords Amendments to the New Towns Bill.

Wednesday, 31st July—Committee and remaining stages of the Consolidated Fund (Appropriation) Bill, which we hope will be passed formally.

Afterwards, a Debate will take place on Palestine, on the Motion for the Adjournment of the House. It will be followed by a Motion to approve the Highway Code.

Thursday, 1st August—Conclusion of the Debate on Palestine by about 9 o'clock.

Motions to approve the Acquisition of, Land (Increase of Supplement) Orders.

I will make a further statement, should it be necessary to consider Amendments to any other Bills now in another place, or to bring forward any other Business.

If all necessary Business has been disposed of it is hoped to take the Motion for the Summer Recess on Friday, 2nd August. The proposed date of reassembly in the autumn and the Business to be taken during the first week, will be announced next week. It may be convenient for me to remind the House that we have undertaken to allocate two days for a Debate on India at some convenient date after our return.

In addition, I recognise that a further day should be made available for a discussion of Scottish affairs. Normally, two allotted Supply days are devoted to Scottish Estimates, but this has not always been the case. I hope that the proposal to allocate a further day for a Debate on Scottish affairs in the autumn will be agreeable to Scottish Members.

Mr. Stokes

May I ask the Leader of the House whether, in view of the fact that on Monday there will be one of the rare occasions on which we have discussed the vitally important subject of the control of Germany and Austria, and in view of the fact that I anticipate that a very large number of hon. Members will wish to speak, he will consider suspending the Rule so that we may have as long as possible for the Debate?

Mr. Morrison

I am afraid that is not possible because the Guillotine falls at 9.30 p.m. on the outstanding Votes; moreover, my recollection is that there was another day upon which the subject was debated.

Mr. Clement Davies

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that on a recent Friday the Minister of Agriculture announced, without any opportunity for Debate, certain increases in the prices of agricultural produce? There has undoubtedly been a great deal of dissatisfaction with regard to that announcement and the House has had no opportunity whatever of discussing it. May we be assured that an early opportunity will be given when we return from the Recess of debating this very important matter?

Mr. Morrison

I appreciate the point raised. Things are going to be fairly tight when we come back, but that matter might be raised through the usual channels and we might have a talk about it.

Dr. Stephen Taylor

Can the right hon. Gentleman hold out any hope of an opportunity for discussing the report of the Committee on Economic and Social Research when the House returns?

Mr. Morrison

I am afraid that is not very likely.

Mr. Henry Strauss

May I ask the Leader of the House, in regard to the proposed Motion to approve the Highway Code, whether he is aware that that Code contains quite obviously a number of mistakes, so that at some points it says the exact opposite of what it means? I thought that if he really proposed to ask the House to approve it in its present form, he would perhaps like to have notice that that Business is certainly controversial.

Mr. Morrison

I understood that this was a very peaceful matter. It sounds as if we might have a most interesting speech from the hon. and learned Mem- ber if he catches Mr. Speaker's eye. I have no doubt that the Minister of Transport will take note of what he has said. I gather that it is rather urgent and important that this should be approved.

Mr. Strauss

I am only calling attention to the defects as a matter of courtesy. I think these are matters which the right hon. Gentleman the Minister of Transport will certainly like to put right. It would surely be the greatest mistake to approve the Highway Code in a form which is wrong and will be laughed at by the courts.

Mr. Morrison

I understand that the hon. and learned Gentleman has been good enough to inform the Minister of Transport. They are drafting points He will be glad to know that the Minister of Transport will be able to meet him on most of the points which he has kindly notified to him.

Sir W. Smithers

Can the right hon. Gentleman suggest the day on which the House will reassemble after the Summer Recess?

Mr. Morrison

No, Sir. I hope to inform the House next week. I thought that the House would be happy in knowing today the date on which we propose that we should adjourn.

Major Legge-Bourke

With regard to Wednesday's Business, can the right hon. Gentleman give any indication what form the Debate is to take and whether, as is probable, the Government will have a statement ready as regards the policy they are going to adopt as a result of the talks now going on in London? Can we have some indication whether the Government will make any statement on how these talks are going?

Mr. Morrison

I cannot yet be quite sure. The hon. and gallant Gentleman may take it that, if at all possible, the Government will give some indication of their views and policy in the light of the talks to which he has referred, but it is not entirely within our control. It is a reasonable request that we should try to-do so, and I can assure him that the Government will do their very best to meet his request in that matter.

Captain MacLeod

Can an early opportunity be given for a discussion on the Government's afforestation policy?

Mr. Morrison

I do not know. I rather thought that was one of the subjects suggested earlier for a Supply day, but it is no good talking about Supply days now because they will soon all be gone. I am afraid that I cannot see any immediate prospects of that.