§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI beg to ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House a Question of which I have given him private notice—namely, if he can tell us anything with regard to the course of business next week, and perhaps during the following week. Noble Lords from Ireland are naturally anxious to know what opportunities they will have of discussing the Irish Land Bill on Report.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF CREWE)My Lords, I understand that the business for to-day and to-morrow is set out on the Paper, and that it will not be for the convenience of noble Lords from Ireland to take the Report stage of the Irish Land Bill before Tuesday, the 19th. In that case I would suggest, with your Lordships' concurrence, that the House need not sit on Monday next as there will be no business to take on that day. I am not certain how long the Report stage of the Irish Land Bill will take, but in the event of its being finished on Tuesday we propose to take the Committee stage of the Development Bill on Wednesday, the 20th. That is supposing the Land Bill Report does not take more than one day, but if it should occupy two days then we should propose to take the Development Bill on Thursday, the 21st. Then there is the remaining stage of the Scottish House Letting Bill which we propose to take on Wednesday, the 20th, or Thursday, the 21st. As to the following week, there remains the Third Reading of the Irish Land Bill and the remaining stages—Report and Third Reading—of the Development Bill, and we propose to devote Monday and Tuesday to those two Bills; it is not, I think, necessary or desirable to say at the moment which Bill will be taken on each day, because we should prefer to meet the convenience of noble Lords. That is so far as I know the business before the House, and unless further business should appear on the Paper, I should think it would be possible for your Lordships to adjourn for a few days on Tuesday, the 26th.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEI understand the noble Earl proposes to 1166 leave it open whether we should take the Development Bill on Wednesday, the 20th or Thursday, the 21st next week. I gather from my noble friends from Ireland that there is at any rate a possibility that more than one night will be required for the Report of the Irish Land Bill, and I also understand Thursday would be more convenient than Wednesday for the Development Bill. It might be wiser, I think, to settle now that the Development Bill should be taken on Thursday, leaving Wednesday to be made use of for the Irish Land Bill and the Scottish Bill, if necessary.
§ THE EARL OF CREWEI have no objection whatever to that course.