§ Order of the Day read for the consideration of the Third Report from the Select Committee.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE)My Lords, I regret very much that this Report is not yet printed. It was sent to the printers on Wednesday, and in the normal course would have been here easily in two days, but your Lordships will recollect that the printers have been very hard worked during the last forty-eight hours, and doubtless for that reason the Report has not reached us.
§ LORD ASHBOURNEHave the House of Lords' printers been hard at work?
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMOREExtremely hard at work reprinting Bills. They have been up all night doing so. But there are no special printers for the House of Lords. They print for both Houses, and they had to reprint the Bills as amended in Committee in order that they might be in your Lordships' hands for the Report stage, which is taken sometimes within twelve hours of the ending of the Committee stage. 1162 But there are only four items in this Report of the House of Lords Offices Select Committee, and when I explain their nature I do not think your Lordships will have any grievance that the actual print is not out. The first paragraph merely states that the Estimates for the House of Lords for next year have been approved by the Committee. The second deals with the superannuation of a messenger, which has been put down according to scale. The third deals with the gratuity allowed to the widow of a doorkeeper who has recently died; that is according to scale. The other paragraph is concerned with the important question of the transfer of two temporary I housemaids to the permanent establishment. I move that the Report be agreed to.
§ On Question, Third Report from the Select Committee agreed to.