HC Deb 20 July 1962 vol 663 cc817-8
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Iain Macleod)

It might meet the wishes of the House if the arrangements for Monday next were altered so that the debate on Disarmament were brought to a conclusion at 6.30 p.m. There might then be a short debate in relation to Miss Bryan until, say, 7.30 p.m., after which the House would proceed, as already announced, to a discussion on coal mine closures, redundancy and unemployment in the North East, and the Motion on the Greenwich Hospital and Travers' Foundation Accounts.

Mr. Wade

Is that not allowing only a very short time for a debate on such an important subject as disarmament? Could the right hon. Gentleman consider arrangements for allowing more time for that subject?

Mr. Macleod

These matters are not in a straitjacket, because anything is in order on the Consolidated Fund Bill. These are suggestions, by which the House generally agrees to be guided. It would be perfectly in order to make a speech on this matter at other stages of the Bill.

Mr. G. Brown

We on this side know that this is not the only subject of tremendous importance down for debate today, and while we wanted to do justice to that point we did not want to do grave injustice to the North-East and to those interested by curtailing debate upon it. I think we shall probably find that this arrangement will work out for the best.