THE MARQUESS OF CREWEMy Lords, before the House adjourns, I desire to ask the noble Earl the Lord Privy Seal whether he can state what is the precise urgency, beyond that of a general desire to bring the Air Force Bill into operation, which makes it necessary to take the Second Reading to-morrow. I think the noble Earl must see that it would hardly be possible, assuming noble Lords desire to debate the subject, that there could be anything like a general or adequate discussion if the Bill is taken to-morrow. I speak without prejudice because I have not followed the subject closely. I do not desire to raise any objections to the principle of the Bill, and I am not competent to discuss all its details, but it is very possible that some noble Lords may wish to do so. If the Second Reading is put down for to-morrow and the Committee stage on the following day—indeed, all the remaining stages on the following day, which is what the noble Earl asks—it is quite clear that your Lordships' House cannot give the subject any review which would be of much value. Perhaps, therefore, the noble Earl will tell us what the special urgency is, over and above that which would naturally appeal to His Majesty's Government, having decided on the step—the desire to bring it into force soon. I think that your Lordships will generally agree that this is a somewhat extreme instance of the rather cavalier treatment to which we are not altogether unused.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDMy Lords, I have been treated cavalierly by the noble Marquess himself in his day; therefore, I will not respond to that observation. I will tell him quite frankly what is the urgency of the Bill. It is briefly this. It has passed through the. House of Commons, and, with the Bill in prospect, the Royal Flying Corps and the Naval Flying Unit cease to exist as such; the Air Board, 1095 which is now familiar to your Lordships, with its huge Department, ceases to exist as such; the whole of this gigantic Service, therefore, is in a state of flux, pending the passage of the Air Force, Bill, which re-establishes de novo a great unified Air Force. Clearly, it is most desirable that this state of indecision, which I should imagine must be paralysing to the ordinary Departmental work of the Air Board and which must also present some difficulty to the soldiers and sailors concerned, should be terminated at the earliest possible moment. That is the case on which I suggest, in quite a tentative way, that your Lordships should pass the Bill this week. As to the suggestion that we are taking the House by surprise, I assure the noble Marquess that this question has been the central topic of political, as opposed to military, discussion about the Air Service for at least eighteen months. Everybody who has had to concern himself with the Air Service generally is thoroughly familiar with the objects and machinery outlined in the clauses of the Bill, with two or three technical exceptions, on which certain Peers will probably require to make observations. I would remind the noble Marquess that in a sense no division on the whole subject took place in the House of Commons. Divisions were called three times, I believe, and Tellers were named three times, but on not one of those three occasions did anybody go through the "No" Lobby. I take it, therefore, that 1096 the Bill is practically an agreed measure. It entirely depends on your Lordships when the Bill is taken. I have merely stated the view, which is impressed upon me, that it is desirable to get it dealt with at the earliest possible moment.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDI will certainly put it on the Paper for to-morrow and, if it is desired, it can be postponed, but I would rather take the Second Reading to-morrow and postpone the Committee stage until next week than take the Second Reading on Thursday and postpone the remaining stages still further. I should like those sailors and soldiers and administrators connected with the Air Force to know at least—what I am personally confident of—that your Lordships will give a Second Reading to the Bill, and so endorse its principles.
THE EARL OF CRAWFORDIn that case I will put it down for to-morrow, and by that time perhaps the noble Marquess will have had more leisure to see the Bill and decide whether it can go forward.
§ House adjourned at six minutes past six o'clock.