§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I should like, with your permission, to ask the Leader of the House if he can give us any idea as to the few remaining days of the present sittings and what business your Lordships will be asked to do in them.
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR)My Lords, I thank the noble Marquess for asking me the question. I will give him all the information I can to-day, but there will have to be, I think, a final statement later in the week. There is always a question as to how far certain Bills may have proceeded both here and in another place. I should like to say at the outset that I do not intend to move the Second Reading to-day of the British Museum and National Gallery (Overseas Loans) Bill, as there are one or two matters remaining to be settled in connection with that, and it will be put down for next Tuesday. I hope the day of the adjournment of the House will be December 19. At any rate it is the present intention of the Government that Parliament may be adjourned on the 19th—that is, Friday week.
I desire to mention one matter in connection with that in order that we may be quite clear as to the work we have to do before the vacation. It may be necessary to ask your Lordships to meet on Monday next, but I cannot at the present moment say definitely. I am sure your Lordships would rather meet on Monday in order to do what is necessary in regard to Bills before we depart for our vacation than to leave any work unfinished to be done after the 19th. As regards the Bills we have to deal with there is Lord Strachie's Local Government (Clerks) Bill to-day. I under- 466 stand that there will be no question of an immediate Committee stage upon that Bill and that it may be well left over, at any rate, till after Christmas. The Grey Seals Protection Bill is now merely formal and it will be finished. As regards the Cunard (Insurance) Agreement Bill, Lord Amulree will move the Second Reading. I have not yet the actual date when the Second Reading will be taken, but it will be as soon as possible.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYHas it been through the House of Commons?
§ LORD PARMOORIt has just come up to us to-day. I do not think that it is a Bill which will require any long time for discussion in y our Lordships' House. As I say, the Cunard (Insurance) Agreement Bill has come up to-day and will be put down for Second Reading as soon as possible. Then there is the Improvement of Livestock (Licensing of Bulls) Bill, of which the Second Reading will be moved by Earl De La Warr on Thursday, when the Grey Seals Protection Bill will have a Third Reading. The Second Reaching of the Ancient Monuments Bill will be moved by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede and the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill, the Second Reading of which I propose to move myself, will also be on Thursday. I think I had better leave over, for a moment, other matters to ascertain what the position is of these Bills. Possibly we may have the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Bill, but I doubt whether it will be through the other House in time. The same observation applies to the Education (School Attendance) Bill, but we must be prepared to deal with those Bills should they be sent up.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYIt is not proposed to deal with the Education Bill and the Agricultural Land (Utilisation) Bill before Christmas?
§ LORD PARMOOROnly in the sense that possibly they may be read a first time. I do not think we shall be able to get further than that before Christmas. It may be necessary to ask your Lordships to meet on Monday, and if you agree to that—and I am sure you will in a matter of this sort—then I have every hope that we shall have the adjournment on the 19th.