§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, before we enter upon business I should like to ask the noble Marquess who leads the House a question. He indicated yesterday the probable time when we might take our holiday. I want to suggest to him that if business requires it he should consider sitting a little earlier on Wednesday, which is not a day for judicial business, so that some of those who desire it, if all the business be finished on Wednesday, could go away on that day and not stay until Thursday. I do not know whether the noble Marquess has considered that at all.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY)Does the noble Lord mean a morning sitting?
§ LORD PARMOORYes, a sitting at a convenient time. I understand there will be no difficulty, for instance, about sitting at two o'cock or something like that. There would be no judicial work. I have made inquiries of the noble and learned Lord on the Woolsack as to that.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYThe suggestion had not reached me until this moment.
§ LORD PARMOORThat is so.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI am not sure how far it would be possible to arrange that. The difficulty which occurs to me immediately is that there must be a Royal Commission on Wednesday and, therefore, your Lordships' House must be in session at that time. That would make a little difficulty; but if the noble and learned Lord would be good enough to give me a little time to consider it I will see if I can meet him. I will enquire whether noble Lords sitting in other parts of the House would find it convenient.
§ EARL BEAUCHAMPIf the noble Marquess will be good enough to make inquiries he will probably find that there is a very general desire to meet earlier on Wednesday, if possible. I do not know what he has in mind about sitting after dinner on Tuesday. If he wants to do that I can assure him that I shall offer no objection to it, and that might facilitate the passage of the Local Government (Scotland) Bill in Committee. I can assure him that we are quite ready to meet his wishes, whatever they may be in regard to sitting on Tuesday. I hope we may be able to sit earlier on Wednesday, and I think, as I said before, that the noble Marquess will find it is in accordance with the general wish.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYI will not repeat what I have already said about Wednesday. I will make inquiries. As regards Tuesday, I am obliged to the noble Earl. It was in my mind to ask your Lordships to be so very good as to be ready to sit after dinner on Tuesday, in case it may be necessary. I think in all probability it will be necessary, to deal with the Amendments of the Scottish Bill, which will take rather longer than can well be compressed within the hours before dinner. Perhaps your Lordships would take this as notice from me that, so far as the Government are concerned, we shall propose to sit after dinner on Tuesday.