§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I venture to ask the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House if he can give your Lordships any further information as to the business that awaits us.
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR)My Lords, I am much obliged to the noble Marquess for asking this question. I hope I can give him fairly accurate information, although, of course, information of this kind depends at times on special circumstances. We are expecting the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill to be brought up from the other House on Tuesday night. I am told that the Bill may be late in coming, and we shall have to make provision for a House to be here in order to receive it on that night. We propose that the Second Reading shall be taken on Tuesday, November 26, so that there will be a week between the First and Second Readings. I have a note here that the Royal Assent to that Bill should be given as early as November 30, but perhaps I may leave open the question of how much time we can possibly spend on it. We want as much time as possible for the Committee stage, but we can discuss that point with greater profit after the Second Reading.
The Expiring Laws Continuance Bill will come up from the other House on Tuesday, November 26. We want it passed before Christmas, and I do not think there will be any difficulty. Probably there will be no great amount of discussion. The Unemployment Insurance Bill is expected to come up on December 10 for First Reading. That Bill is also wanted before Christmas. It is, I think, largely a Money Bill, but I hope we shall have sufficient time in which to discuss it fully, so far as is necessary, and I am sure that the House would not object, if it were necessary 520 to the consideration of any of these Bills, that we should meet on Mondays if the other three days of the week on which we meet are not sufficient. We hope that the Lunacy Bill will be read a first time in this House—it is in charge of Earl Russell—on Tuesday next. The Road Traffic Bill, which will undoubtedly take some time in Committee, we hope will be read a first time during one of the later days of next week, probably Thursday, and I hear from the Lord Chancellor that it will not be long before he will be able to introduce the Civil Proceedings Bill. I think this statement will give your Lordships a very fair account of the work which we hope to get through before Christmas, and I do not think we shall be unduly pressed, although it may be necessary to meet on Mondays.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble and learned Lord for giving us this notice. I hope, however, that he will not conclude that this expression of thanks implies that I assent, so far as I am concerned, to all these arrangements, although no doubt we shall have to do everything we can to help the Government. He will realise that if the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill is only read a second time on November 26, to get it through all its remaining stages in four days is making a very great demand upon your Lordships' sense of public duty, and I cannot, I am afraid, engage that my friends will be very willing to take that view. I should have been rather glad if the noble Lord could have told us when the Second Reading of the Lunacy Bill was likely to be taken. I will only add that so far as I am concerned, considering the date which we have reached and the near prospect of the Christmas Recess, I agree that Monday sittings are not unreasonable.
§ LORD PARMOORI appreciate what the noble Marquess has said as regards the time to be allowed for the subsequent stages of the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill. I will endeavour to see whether I cannot get more satisfactory time, and I will communicate with him again. At the latest, I should be able to make a statement on the Second Reading. As regards the Lunacy Bill, I do not know whether there will be time to take it 521 on Tuesday, November 26, but as soon as possible after the Second Reading of the Widows', Orphans', and Old Age Contributory Pensions Bill it is proposed to take the Second Reading of the Lunacy Bill.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYIt would be quite impossible to take it on the same day.
§ LORD PARMOORWe will take it at as early a time as possible, having regard to the claims of other business.