§ Mr. EdenMay I ask the Leader of the House if he has any changes to announce in the Business for tomorrow?
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)Yes, Sir. We hope that it will be possible to conclude the Committee stage of the Finance Bill at an early hour tomorrow, Wednesday. Afterwards, we shall ask the House to take the Second Reading of the Ministers of the Crown (Treasury Secretaries) Bill, and, as a matter of urgency, to take the Committee and remaining stages on the same day. The Bill will require a Money Resolution, and, in order that that may be dealt with at the same time, it will be necessary to move a Special Procedure Motion. There are precedents for this. The Government ask the House to treat the Bill as a matter of urgency in order that another Secretary to the Treasury may be appointed to assist my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer with the economic side of his work. The Bill is being presented today, and copies will be made available in the Vote Office later this afternoon. There are also a number of Electricity and Gas (Special) Orders on the Paper for consideration tomorrow, as well as a Prayer in the name of the right hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. C. Davies) relating to the Registration for Employment Order.
§ Mr. EdenWith regard to the Bill to which the right hon. Gentleman has just referred, I realise, of course, the conditions in which the Government ask for this exceptional speed, but I should like to have an assurance from the Govern- 207 ment that we are not to regard this as a precedent, because I think the House generally is always most reluctant to pass all stages of a Measure in one day.
§ Mr. MorrisonCertainly. I appreciate the reasonable attitude which the right hon. Gentleman has adopted. This is very exceptional, and certainly I would not argue that this should be a precedent. This procedure is to be engaged in only in special circumstances and in exceptional cases.