BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 11 August 1919)

§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (EARL CURZON OF KEDLESTON)
My Lords, in moving the suspension of Standing Order No. XXXIX until the House adjourns for the recess, I am making a Motion which is common at this period of the session. It is not designed, I need hardly assure your Lordships, with any view of forcing Bills through the House, even in the concluding days of this part of the session; rather, it is designed in order to regularise our business and to satisfy the convenience of the House itself.
With regard to the business that lies before us, the Report stage of the Transport Bill is on the Order Paper to-day. It will, I imagine, consume the greater part of the afternoon, and I would propose to take the Third Reading of that Bill tomorrow. The Patents and Designs Bill and the War Pensions Bill will be read a first time to-day. I would propose to take the Second Reading of the War Pensions Bill to-morrow, and the Second Reading of the Patents and Designs Bill on Thursday. Upon that day also—Thursday, August 14—I hope to ask the House to deal 660 with the Commons Amendments to the Transport Bill. There are two further Bills which should reach your Lordships' House this week—namely, the Welsh Church Bill and the Profiteering Bill. Those, of course, we cannot take until the beginning of next week. It would, perhaps, be rash to prophesy at this date how long the labours of the House will last, but I indulge in the hope, which I am sure your Lordships will share, that we may be able to rise for the Autumn Recess on the 20th or 21st of the present month.

§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
I have no reason, at this period of the session, to criticise the Motion which the noble Earl has made; but in respect of his forecast of business, I understand him to say that he proposes to take the Third Reading of the Transport Bill to-morrow.

§ EARL CURZON OF KEDLESTON
Unless we can get it to-day.

§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY
That is for your Lordships to decide, but I should have thought it a little unlikely. It is possible that there may be Amendments on Third Reading which would have to be considered. I do not anticipate them, but it may be as well to keep that point in view before us. It may be difficult to take the Third Reading to-morrow.

§ LORD MONTAGU OF BEAULIEU
I quite agree with the noble Marquess. It depends very much how we get on with the Transport Bill to-day and whether we have Amendments on Third Reading, in which case it would be more convenient if the Third Reading were taken on Thursday.

§ EARL CURZON OF KEDLESTON
I am not quite certain that in one respect I was accurate. I referred to the Welsh Church Bill and the Profiteering Bill as being dealt with in another place now and as not likely to come before your Lordships this week. I meant the stages of those two Bills in which your Lordships would deal with them seriatim in Committee. I hope that it may be possible on Wednesday to take the Second Reading of the Welsh Church Bill, should the circumstances of the hour allow.