ADJOURNMENT (Hansard, 4 November 1965)

§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Bowden)
The House will understand that there is advantage in holding Parliament in adjournment over this weekend rather than that it should be prorogued. It is appreciated that this is an exception, but these are exceptional circumstances. Accordingly, I beg to move, That this House, at its rising this day, do adjourn till Monday next.

§ Mr. Speaker
Before putting the Motion to the House, I should remind the House that a Motion like this, as, no doubt, most hon. Members already know, usually requires notice. The rules regulating the requirement of notice, however, depend, in Erskine May's words, … more upon practical than upon logical considerations … The House can waive the right of requiring notice for a substantive Motion if the Motion is moved under the sanction of the Chair and with the general concurrence of the House.
There are precedents for Motions altering the times of the next sitting of the House without previous notice, and I should remind the House, in order to safeguard the position, that this is a Motion of that kind. Subject to what I have said, I consider that it would be proper for the Chair in the present circumstances to propose the Motion to the House.

§ Mr. Heath
In the present circumstances, I think that the Leader of the House has been very wise in moving this Motion, and we on this side of the House are entirely in agreement with your course in putting it to the House, Mr. Speaker.
I have two questions for the right hon. Gentleman. In the normal event, when would he expect Prorogation to take place? Will it be at 2.30 p.m. on Monday? Secondly, can he give an assurance that, in the event of Prime Minister and his colleagues feeling that there is information to be given to the House or action which should be taken by the House, he will not hesitate, under Standing Order No. 117, to ask Mr. Speaker to recall the House between it rising tonight and the meeting at 2.30 p.m. on Monday?

§ Mr. Bowden
The whole purpose of the exercise is to permit my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to advise Mr. Speaker to recall the House at any time between now and Monday. The intention is to prorogue at 2.30 p.m. on Monday instead of 11 a.m. tomorrow.

§ Mr. William Yates
Since we are in sympathy with the Leader of the House on this Motion, since we shall have no time to discuss the general arrangements for the Gracious Speech which will take place next week and since we shall soon discuss many international affairs, particularly United Nations resolutions concerning South-West Arabia, will the right hon. Gentleman, when he comes to discuss the matter with the Chair and through the usual channels, ensure at least two days of debate on foreign affairs during the general debate on the Gracious Speech? Foreign affairs are clearly disturbing hon. Members opposite as well as right hon. and hon. Gentlemen on this side of the House. I thought this would be the most suitable time to ask whether he would consider having a two-day debate on our current position in international affairs.

§ Mr. Bowden
Nothing I have said today alters the timing for Her Majesty's opening of the next Session of Parliament on Tuesday of next week or alters allocation of time for debate of the Gracious Speech. Choices of subjects for the particular days are left very largely, as the hon. Gentleman probably knows, to Her Majesty's Opposition, and no doubt on about Wednesday of next week, Mr. Speaker will be indicating to the House what is suggested for each day.

Mr. Gresham Cooke
If the House were not prorogued on Monday at 2.30 and a statement had to be made on the current position, would the House meet at 2.30 for a statement to be made at that time, or would there first be Questions in the normal way?

§ Mr. Bowden
In the event of the House not being prorogued at 2.30 on Monday, there would be a normal sitting of the House on that day, if it is not sitting before as a result of a special recall. But the House would then prorogue at the end of the day's business on Monday and the new Session would be opened on Tuesday.