BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (Hansard, 29 November 1962)

§ Mr. Gaitskell
May I ask the Leader of the House whether he will state the business of the House for next week?

§ The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. Iain Macleod)
Yes, Sir. The business for next week will be as follows:
MONDAY, 3RD DECEMBER—Debate on the Motion in the name of the Leader of the Opposition relating to Central Africa.
TUESDAY, 4TH DECEMBER—Second Reading of the Protection of Depositors Bill, and Committee stage of the Money Resolution.
Report and Third Reading of the Coal Industry Bill.
WEDNESDAY, 5TH DECEMBER—Debate on the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Commerce, Establishment and Navigation, which will arise on a Government Motion to take note of the White Paper (Command No. 1874).
Consideration of the Motion on the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (Japan) Order, which it is hoped to obtain by seven o'clock.
Afterwards, debate on Pensions of the Armed Forces, on the Motion for the Adjournment of the House.
Consideration of the Motions on the Double Taxation Relief (Taxes on Income) (South-West Africa) and (Israel) Orders.
THURSDAY, 6TH DECEMBER—Supply [2nd Allotted Day]: Motion to move Mr. Speaker out of the Chair, when debate will arise on an Amendment to take note of the First, Second and Third Reports, 1961–62, from the Committee of Public Accounts, and of the Special Report relating to them.
FRIDAY, 7TH DECEMBER—Consideration of Private Members' Bills.
MONDAY, 10TH DECEMBER, and TUESDAY, 11TH DECEMBER—The proposed business will be: Second Reading of the London Government Bill, and Committee stage of the Money Resolution.

§ Mr. Gaitskell
May I ask the Leader of the House whether, in accordance 667 with what we have already suggested, he will find time before Christmas for a debate on the Common Market negotiations? Secondly, may I ask him whether he can tell us anything about the progress of the Joint Select Committee on House of Lords Reform and whether he knows when it is likely to report?

§ Mr. Macleod
My right hon. Friend the Lord Privy Seal replied on the right hon. Gentleman's first point a week ago. We are prepared to discuss these matters. There is one Supply day available. Apart from the fact that there is very litle time before Christmas after the business I have announced, the question of fitting in with the movements of the Lord Privy Seal will have to be considered, but, naturally, we would discuss that.
On the other matter, as the Leader of the Opposition knows, we have no information until the Committee reports to the House.

§ Mr. Kershaw
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has just announced an arrangement about paying fees for those who appear before the Tribunal of Inquiry, and he seems shortly to be coming to a decision about it. Is the House to have the opportunity, which we did not have just now, to express its views about the desirability of this, and how it will be done, before the Home Secretary comes to a decision?

§ Mr. Macleod
I do not think that I could undertake to find time in the business for next week. My right hon. Friend has said that he will have discussions and no doubt he will also be glad to receive representations. I also, as Leader of the House, would be glad to receive representations if people, wherever they come from, like to make them to me, and I would faithfully convey them to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

§ Mr. Shinwell
May I ask whether it is intended before Christmas that the Government should make a further announcement of their proposals to deal with the growing unemployment, and whether a debate of this character ought not to take precedence over any other?

§ Mr. Macleod
I would agree with the right hon. Gentleman that, at least in 668 domestic affairs, this is perhaps the most anxious and important subject of all. I have reminded the House that we have had debates on this matter, and that there is a Supply Day available.

§ Mr. Snow
As I understand the Leader of the House said on Wednesday's business, the discussion on the Anglo-Japanese Treaty will be concluded at seven o'clock. In view of the fact that there are certain important sectional industrial interests which may be raised, as well as political considerations stemming from those, would the right hon. Gentleman consider an extension of time for that debate?

§ Mr. Macleod
We hope to conclude it by that time. We shall have to see, of course, how that day's business goes, but I would remind the hon. Member that many matters of the very greatest importance, like the recent debate that we had on the nuclear test in Nevada, were concluded in half a day. I hope that we shall be able to keep to the programme that I have suggested.

§ Mr. F. Harris
Can my right hon. Friend say whether, when the Colonial Secretary returns next week, it is the intention during next week that he should make a statement on the dismissal of the Governor of Kenya and the reasons for it?

§ Mr. Macleod
I think that I am right in saying that my right hon. Friend has a Question down to him on Tuesday, 4th December, on that subject, to which he will be replying.

§ Mr. Bottomley
The Leader of the House has given notice that we will debate the London Government Bill on the Monday and Tuesday of the week after next. Would he not agree to push that aside so that the House may discuss what he accepts is the most important question of unemployment, particularly in the North-East?

§ Mr. Macleod
The right hon. Gentleman knows very well that at this time of year the Government always put their major Bills through for Second Reading—that is invariably so—and the London Government Bill has been given this time in response to requests by the Opposition for two days to be allotted for its Second Reading.

§ Mr. Rankin
I want to return to the matters referred to by my hon. Friend the Member for Lichfield and Tamworth (Mr. Snow). Will the right hon. Gentleman think again about the amount of time provided for the discussion of the Anglo-Japanese Trade Treaty? Does he realise that, bound up in that discussion, are a great many other matters—even unemployment? Can he assure us that the discussion of the Treaty will not be concluded until the House has concluded with the Treaty?

§ Mr. Macleod
I am not quite sure that I follow that question, but the hon. Member will also realise that the business suggested—and, as I say, we shall have to see how we get on with it—for the second part of that day, the debate on pensions of the Armed Forces, is also of the very greatest interest to Members of the House. I therefore hope that we will be able to take both debates.

§ Mr. Bence
In view of the deep interest shown in the discussions and debates on the Common Market, can the right hon. Gentleman provide the House with an early opportunity to debate the possibilities of the expansion and development of Commonwealth trade should the conditions for entry into the Common Market not be satisfactory?

§ Mr. Macleod
Frankly, there are considerable difficulties in finding any time before the Christmas Recess, but I have said that we will have discussions on the whole subject.

§ Mr. Fletcher
Can the right hon. Gentleman assure the House that he will, in due course, find Government time for consideration of the very important recommendations contained in the Report of the Royal Commission on the Police?

§ Mr. Macleod
I hope to be able to do that, but I cannot go further than that. The House Secretary will be answering Question No. 52 on the Order Paper today, and indicating the action he is taking in this connection.

§ Mr. Lubbock
Will the Leader of the House say whether the House will have an opportunity before the Christmas Recess to discuss the Motion on the Order Paper in the names of the hon. Members for Rossendale (Mr. Green- 670 wood) and Bradford, West (Mr. Tiley), and other hon. Members, relating to incitement of racial hatred and discrimination?

§ Mr. Macleod
I must rest on what has been said by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary: that until certain cases, of which he and the hon. Member know, are finally disposed of, he would not wish to make a further statement, but that he will certainly do so when he can.