HC Deb 27 July 1955 vol 544 cc1181-3
Mr. H. Morrison

May I ask the Leader of the House whether he will state the business for the week when the House resumes?

The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. Harry Crookshank)

Yes, Sir. The business for the next week in which we shall be sitting, which is the week after the Summer Recess, will be as follows:

TUESDAY, 25TH OcTonER—Consideration of a Motion in usual form relating to the arrangements to be made for private Members' Time.

Committee and remaining stages of the Sudan (Special Payments) Bill.

Second Reading of the Diplomatic Immunities Restriction Bill.

Second Reading of the Rural Water Supplies and Sewerage Bill, and Committee stage of the necessary Money Resolution.

WEDNESDAY, 26TH OCTOBER—Second Reading of the Sugar Bill, and Committee stage of the necessary Money and Ways and Means Resolutions.

THURSDAY, 27TH OCTOBER—Debate on Education in Scotland until 7 o'clock.

Afterwards, Report and Third Reading of the Agriculture (Improvement of Roads) Bill.

FRIDAY, 28TH OCTOBER—Second Reading of the Dentists Bill, and Committee stage of the necessary Money Resolution.

Mr. Grimond

Is it the intention of the Government to give time fairly soon after we come back for a discussion of the Phillips Report, which I think was first spoken of before Christmas?

Mr. Crookshank

There will be quite a lot of time after we return in which a number of subjects will no doubt be debated. I would not like to prejudge any one yet.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Will the debate on Scottish education be again postponed if there is another economic crisis?

Sir I. Fraser

Would it not be better to put the Scottish business second on the Thursday, so that those of us from England can leave it to our Scottish comrades?

Mr. Emrys Hughes

Is the Leader of the House aware of the great anxiety among the large number of company directors on the Government side of the House lest they incur penalties for holding offices of profit under the Crown, because they will be liable to be fined £500 per day during the Recess without opportunity of getting the necessary indemnity legislation? Will he say something to dispel their fear that they will be liable to enormous sums in fines as long as the Recess lasts?

Mr. Crookshank

If there is any anxiety on this side of the House, I hope that hon. Gentlemen opposite who may be in a similar position will also be anxious. I do not think that the hon. Member knows any more about this matter than he does about common land in Scotland.

Mr. G. Wilson

May I ask my right hon. Friend whether and, if so, when there will be time to debate an item which appeared on the Order Paper last Friday, and which read: Animals,—Copy presented,—of Order, dated 21st July, 1955, made by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, authorising the landing at London of one Giraffe [by Act]; to lie upon the Table.

Mr. Crookshank

I really do not know about that, but it does remind me of an Order laid long ago, when some eggs were ordered to lie upon the Table.

Mr. J. Hynd

I hope I am in order in asking a question about business. The Leader of the House announced that the Dentists Bill will be taken on the Friday. In view of the fact that there are wide implications in it in which a large number of Members are interested, can he explain why it is necessary to take the Bill on a Friday instead of earlier in the week, when more attention could be given to it?

Mr. Crookshank

It certainly is a Bill of some importance, but something has to be debated on Friday. I thought that, on the whole, it might meet the convenience of the House, and the importance of the subject, that the Bill should be taken then.

Mr. Ross

Can the right hon. Gentleman not change his mind about the Scottish education debate finishing at 7 o'clock? He will bear in mind that he has put this Order down for the Thursday although it is fairly obvious that even at the moment, after a quiet Thursday's discussion of business, we rarely get the actual business of the House started at half-past three.

Mr. Crookshank

It is not my fault that the business does not start till half-past three. The hon. Gentleman himself has made sure today that it has not started at half-past three. I promised earlier that, as a result of representations made by the Opposition, there would be a two-day debate on Scottish affairs, of which there was to be half a day on Scottish education. For reasons known to himself and other hon. Members, that was not done. Therefore, I found the earliest possible corresponding time when we returned.