HL Deb 23 July 1930 vol 78 cc719-21
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY

My Lords, I venture to ask the noble and learned Lord, the Leader of the House, if he has any communication to make to your Lordships with respect to business.

THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR)

My Lords, I hope that most of the order of business in your Lordships' House has now been settled until Thursday of next week, and we hope to be able to adjourn on that day. I am told that the arrangements in another place may be sufficiently advanced to allow a general adjournment on that day. There is a great deal of work to be done, and I am told that it will be for the convenience of the House if we meet at eleven o'clock on Friday morning. I have communicated with the Whip of the Opposition and with the noble Earl, Lord Beauchamp, and I understand that this will suit noble Lords. The first business on Friday will have to be the Report stage of the Housing (No. 2) Bill. I hope that a good deal will have been settled in regard to that Bill and I do not think it will take much time. I find that it is now put down for to-morrow, but for certain reasons that is not convenient, and accordingly it will be taken on Friday.

LORD BANBURY OF SOUTHAM

Do I understand that we are going to take the Housing (No. 2) Bill as the first Order on Friday?

LORD PARMOOR

Yes.

LORD LAMINGTON

My Lords, may I intervene for one moment? It was only on this day last week that the noble and learned Lord, the Leader of the House, said that he would not allow any Government business to precede any Notices of Motions already on the Order Paper. A week has elapsed and we find only this morning that a long list of business, including the very important consideration of an Amendment to the Coal Mines Bill, is put down before all other Notices. Although the rules and regulations of the House are very flexible, it seems to me all the more important, when a declaration has been made, and approved by my noble friend Lord Salisbury, that the Resolution suspending Standing Order No. XXI should be dispensed with in the case of those Notices of Motions already on the Paper. I do not know whether the noble and learned Lord can explain this flagrant disregard of the pledge given and allowed to remain for a whole week without any notice of the intention to alter the arrangement.

LORD PARMOOR

My Lords, I am sure that I can answer the question which the noble Lord has asked me. We have taken every care to carry out the undertaking, but there are two matters which are urgent, particularly the Coal Mines Bill, which is not likely to take a long time, and the Invergordon Water Supply Bill, which is purely formal. I do not think these will interfere in any way with the noble Lord's Motions. There must be a little latitude when we come to this period of the Session, but I have been very careful not to interfere in any material way with what I said the other day.

LORD LAMINGTON

My Lords, the noble and learned Lord has not given us a very clear explanation of the flagrant disregard of the pledge given to the noble Marquess below me. It may be said that these things do not matter, and personally I do not object very much, but I think your Lordships ought to recognise that, when a pledge of this kind is given, it should be adhered to.

LORD PARMOOR

I think it has been adhered to. I do not want to carry it further.