§ Mr. GaitskellMay I ask the Leader of the House whether he will state the business for the first week after the Whitsun Recess?
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Lord Privy Seal (Mr. R. A. Butler)Yes, Sir. The business for the first week after the Whitsun Recess will be as follows:
TUESDAY, 10TH JUNE—Supply [15th Allotted Day]: Committee.
A debate will take place on Disarmament.
WEDNESDAY, 11TH JUNE and THURSDAY, 12TH JUNE—We shall make further progress in Committee with the Finance Bill.
FRIDAY, 13TH JUNE—Consideration of Private Members' Motions.
§ Mr. GreyHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to a Motion, signed by myself and by a number of my hon. Friends on this side of the House, concerning opencast mining?
§ [That this House, bearing in mind the likelihood that some collieries may be closed, either because of exhaustion of seams or high stocks of coal, that redundancy will result, and that this process will create a considerable recruiting problem when a policy of national expansion is resumed, calls upon Her Majesty's Government to issue a direction to the National Coal Board to reduce the output of opencast coal until the demand for coal supplies increases to the point when additional supplies of opencast coal are required.]
§ Will the right hon. Gentleman endeavour to provide time for an early debate on the Motion? Can he give the date when the matter is likely to be debated?
§ Mr. ButlerI have the Motion before me, but I do not see any early opportunity of being able to discuss it. I will simply bear in mind what the hon. Member has said.
§ Mr. PeytonWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that many of us are still hopeful that he will try to find time in which we can discuss the serious situation confronting the shipping industry?
§ Mr. ButlerYes, Sir. My hon. Friend and his colleagues have been very patient.