BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (Hansard, 15 March 1956)

HC Deb 15 March 1956 vol 550 cc565-686 565

§ Mr. Gaitskell
May I ask the Leader of the House to state the business for next week.

§ The Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)
The business for next week will be as follows:

§ MONDAY, 19TH MARCH—Supply [9th Allotted Day]: Report stage of Civil Supplementary Estimates.

§ Class VIII, Votes 1, 2 and 3 relating to Agriculture.

§ Class IV, Vote 6 (National Gallery).

§ At 9.30 p.m., under the provisions of the Standing Order, the Question will be put from the Chair on the Vote under discussion and on all outstanding Estimates, Supplementary Estimates and Excess Votes required before the end of the financial year.

§ Second Reading of the Validation of Elections (Northern Ireland) Bill, and, if agreeable to the House, the Committee and remaining stages.

§ TUESDAY, 20TH MARCH—Second Reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill.

§ Debate on the Employment Situation.

§ Consideration of Motions to approve the several Civil Defence Regulations which are on the Order Paper.

§ WEDNESDAY, 21ST MARCH—Committee and Third Reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill.

§ Debate on the Findings of the Conference of Privy Councillors on Security.

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§ THURSDAY, 22ND MARCH—Report and Third Reading of the Teachers (Superannuation) Bill.

§ Consideration of the Motion to approve the Draft Coal Mining (Subsidence) (Rateable Value) Order.

§ FRIDAY, 23RD MARCH—Consideration of Private Members' Motions.

§ I have also to announce for the convenience of the House that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will open his Budget on Tuesday, 17th April, and that we hope to adjourn for the Easter Recess on Thursday, 29th March, until Tuesday, 10th April.

§ Mr. Gaitskell
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he anticipates that there will be any other business, which has not so far been announced, on Wednesday?

§ Mr. Butler
I understand that the Chairman of Ways and Means has some Private Business which he proposes to put down for seven o'clock.

§ Mr. S. Silverman
Can the right hon. Gentleman give the House any information at this stage as to when the House will be given an opportunity of making further progress with the Death Penalty (Abolition) Bill? In considering the question, will he bear in mind that the present position is, in a very special sense, anomalous, and that it will remain anomalous until the fate of the Bill, whatever it may be, is ultimately known?

§ Mr. Butler
Yes, Sir. This Bill will be treated by the Government in exactly the same manner as any other outstanding business. I cannot give an exact undertaking as to the day when we shall be able to make a start with the Committee stage, but it will be approached in the spirit which I undertook originally.

§ Mr. Stokes
May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he is able to say when the Secretary of State for Air will make his promised reports to the House on, first, the loss of six Hunter aircraft, and, secondly, the tragic crash in Malta of a transport plane, in which 35 lives were lost?

§ Mr. Butler
I will discuss that with my right hon. Friend, and I will see that the House is informed.

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§ Mr. C. Pannell
May I call the attention of the Leader of the House to the fact that, while the House rightly passed my hon. Friend's Bill to abolish capital punishment, hon. Members in all parts are greatly exercised by the mounting deaths of thousands of people on the roads? Can the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking that the Road Traffic Bill, which has passed, largely on a non-political basis, through the Committee stage, will be brought before the House on Report before Easter?

§ Mr. Butler
I could not give any undertaking that it will be brought before the House before Easter, but I am aware of the importance of making progress with that Bill, particularly since it made such progress in Standing Committee.

§ Mr. E. Fletcher
Will the right hon. Gentleman consider postponing consideration of the Draft Civil Defence (South of Scotland Electricity Board) Regulations until later in the week, in view of the fact that the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments takes an adverse view of those Regulations, and there is to be a memorandum from the Secretary of State for Air?

§ Mr. Butler
That particular point has been brought to my notice, and I am considering that aspect of the matter. I cannot give an assurance to the hon. Member, but I will inform him of the result of my deliberations.

§ Mr. Albu
May I ask the Leader of the House whether it is the Government's intention to give time for a discussion of the White Paper on Technical Education, which contains a number of controversial matters, but which, I think he will agree, is of very great importance?

§ Mr. Butler
We will discuss that matter through the usual channels.

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§ Mr. Silverman
While appreciating what the right hon. Gentleman said about the spirit in which the Government will approach the further stages of the Death Penalty (Abolition) Bill, may I ask him whether the Government's influence would be used, without derogating from the principle of a free vote, in restraining any attempt to produce what one might without disrespect call a prolonged filibustering Committee stage?

Hon. Members
Oh.

§ Mr. Butler
I think that raises wider issues than can be answered in reply to a question on business. It is, of course, in the Government's interests that not too much parliamentary time should be taken up.

§ Mr. L. M. Lever
Will the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that the 10s. widows are still waiting for a debate on the Motion standing in my name? [That this House deplores the decision of the Minister of Pensions and National Insurance on the matter of making more equitable provision for the 10s. widows; and calls upon him to give favourable reconsideration to this urgent question.]