Lords Sitting of 24 July 1930

Preamble
The House met at a quarter past four of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
COLCHESTER GAS ORDER, 1930.

  FARNHAM GAS ORDER, 1930.
  THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY OF THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES (EARL DE LA WARR): My Lords, I beg to move that the Special Orders as reported from the Special Orders Committee on Tuesday last, be approved.
  Moved, That the Special Orders as reported from the Special Orders Committee on Tuesday last, be approved.—(Earl De La Warr.)
  On Question, Motion agreed to.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, I think the noble and learned Lord the Leader of the House might be willing to give us a little fuller account of the remaining days of the Session than he has been able to do heretofore.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR): My Lords, I think I can do that, though, of course, you cannot always make arrangements like the laws of the Medes and Persians, because you are dependent upon what is coming from another place. But I understand that in another place the Prime Minister has stated that he looks forward to the Prorogation to-morrow week, Friday. The programme I have drawn out will enable us to finish our work by Thursday next week, but it is very likely that we shall have something left over, so I think we shall finish about the same time. To-day your Lordships know what is on the Order Paper. We are having a short sitting to-day, because it was indicated from many parts of the House that there was a desire to attend the Court function at Buckingham Palace. To-morrow we have, first, the
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Report stage of the Housing (No. 2) Bill—I cannot say more now, but that is very nearly arranged; then the consideration of the Commons Amendments to the Road Traffic Bill, the Committee stage of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, and, finally, the Committee stage of the Sea Fisheries (Expenses) Bill.
On Monday next we shall have to move to suspend Standing Order No. XXXIX for the rest of the Session in certain cases to take all stages of Bills on the same day. We then propose to take the Second Reading of the Public Works Facilities Bill, but that has not yet reached this House. This will be followed by the Third Reading of the Housing (No. 2) Bill, the remaining stages of the Housing (Scotland) Bill and the Sea Fisheries (Expenses) Bill. Two small Bills will then be taken by stages, if possible. They are not Bills on which there is likely to be any discussion or difficulty. They are the Navy and Marines (Wills) Bill and the Isle of Man Customs (No. 2) Bill. On Tuesday we propose to take the Finance Bill, to be followed by the further stages, as far as we can take them—we shall see whether there is opposition upon that point—of the Public Works Facilities Bill and the Public Works Loans Bill. Then there are two Motions on the Paper which will come before your Lordships—Lord Strickland's Motion on Malta and Lord Burnham's Motion on India.
On Wednesday, July 30, the House will have before it Lord Olivier's Motion on the Sugar Colonies, and Lord Hailsham's Motion on the Paris Pact and Covenant of the League of Nations. We then propose to take all the stages of the Naval Treaty Bill. On Thursday we propose to take the consideration of the Commons Amendments to the Land Drainage Bill—we have not got to that stage yet—and the consideration of the Unemployment Insurance Bill. A Royal Commission will be necessary, of course, before the House rises to give the Royal Assent to a number of Bills which have been passed, and I hope that this, together with the Appropriation Bill, may be taken on Thursday, July 31. But it may not be possible to take it until Friday, August 1, and the House will rise on that day after the Prorogation Speech.

BRADFORD CORPORATION (TROLLEY VEHICLES) PROVISIONAL ORDER BILL.
EARL DE LA WARR: My Lords, I beg to move that the Order made on the 25th day of March last, "That no Provisional Order Confirmation Bill brought from the House of Commons shall be read a second time after Tuesday the 24th June next," be dispensed with, and that the Bill be now read a second time.
Moved, That the Order made on the 25th day of March last, "That no Provisional Order Confirmation Bill brought from the House of Commons shall be read a second time after Tuesday the 24th day of June next," be dispensed with, and that the Bill be now read 2ª.—(Earl De La Warr.)
On Question, Motion agreed to, and Bill read 2ª accordingly.

CHURCHES AND UNIVERSITIES (SCOTLAND) WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' FUND ORDER CONFIRMATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3ª (according to Order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH PROVISIONAL ORDER (FOLKESTONE WATER) BILL.
Read 3ª (according to Order), with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH PROVISIONAL ORDER (UXBRIDGE JOINT HOSPITAL DISTRICT) BILL.
Read 3ª (according to Order), with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.

EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGH: My Lords, it will not be necessary for me
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to detain you for more than a moment in moving the Second Reading of this small Bill. As your Lordships can see, the object of the Bill is to enable the education authorities in Scotland to expend money on providing milk for school children in the schools. Over a period of about two years some very exhaustive tests have been carried out covering a number of children, over two thousand, with a view of ascertaining what would be the result of the addition of a small quantity of milk to the daily diet of the working class child. I need not bother your Lordships with a large number of statistics, but the result of the experiments, which were most carefully and scientifically carried out, proved conclusively that the addition of a small quantity of milk to the diet of these children gave a very large result in the height and weight of the children and in their general condition. No money has been available from the Exchequer for this purpose, and the money has been found, I believe, by a grant from the Empire Marketing Board.
The children were tested both ways, both by giving the milk and then withholding it, and the curve of improvement or otherwise in these children corresponded absolutely to the giving and withholding of the milk. The results have been so striking and the tests so conclusive that the conclusion has been come to that these experiments ought to be continued. However much your Lordships might be tempted to agree to this measure on compassionate grounds, because it really would be a boon to the children concerned, I should be the last to advance it on those grounds. I think it -is clear that, however small the expenditure, in these days of stringency and necessity for economy we should not be justified in spending public money for the purpose in question on those grounds. I prefer to put the Bill before your Lordships as a business proposition.
In the first place, the result of those experiments proved conclusively that the school attendance of the children increased very greatly. There is not the smallest doubt that the money expended on education is spent to very much better purpose if the children are in a position

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to take advantage of it. The first point to be noted is that by the expenditure of this small sum on milk you get better value for the money which you are spending on education. Then there is the small point that this will be to some extent of benefit to the farming industry. The whole amount of money to be spent on the provision of milk is so small that I would not venture to urge that as a strong reason to your Lordships, but at all events it is a reason.
Lastly, there is a provision in the Bill that the milk to be supplied shall be the very best milk. It is to be certified milk, or failing that, milk of the best grade available in the area. That, I hope, through the instrumentality of the education authority, will be the means of improving the general standard of the supply of milk in country districts. Clause 1, as your Lordships can see, does provide that such exemptions as are proper should be provided. It is clear from that that no one will be forced to have milk if the parents do not want it. There is also a provision that if the parents can pay there is machinery for the recovery of the costs from those parents. I do not think I need say more.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2ª.—(Lord Balfour of Burleigh.)
On Question, Bill read 2ª, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

HAIRDRESSERS' AND BARBERS' SHOPS (SUNDAY CLOSING) BILL.
Read 3ª (according to Order), and passed.

ADOPTION OF CHILDREN (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLL: My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be read a second time.
Moved, that the Bill be now read 2ª.—(The Duke of Atholl.)
EARL BEAUCHAMP: My Lords, I think we ought to have some explanation. This is only the Second Reading.
THE DUKE OF ATHOLL: May I ask the noble Earl if he would be content that the explanation could be put off until the Committee stage? I am quite willing to give a full explanation of it then.
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, I understand that what the noble Duke suggests is, that upon the Motion that the House resolve itself into Committee there would be an opportunity on which he might explain the nature of the Bill. Of course, it is not usual in your Lordships' House to postpone an explanation until then, but we have known the employment of that particular stage used for considerable discussion to take place upon a measure. I do not understand that there would be considerable discussion upon this Bill, and I rather hope the noble Earl will be satisfied with that, considering the difficulties of the situation.
On Question, Bill read 2ª, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
LORD PARMOOR: I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.
Moved, That the House do now adjourn.—(Lord Parmoor.)
THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURY: My Lords, upon that Motion I would like to say a word in reference to the statement of business which the noble and learned Lord was good enough to make just now. He mentioned the Land Drainage Bill, with which your Lordships are familiar, for it was discussed at great length on its previous stages. I understand he said that the Commons Amendments to the Land Drainage Bill would be considered here on Thursday. I do not know, but I am not at all sure that there may not be Amendments to the Land Drainage Bill of importance which it might be the duty of your Lordships' House to consider, and it is possible this House might not agree with all the Commons Amendments. I do not know. I have not seen them. I only wanted

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to utter a word of warning, because that might make a difference as to the date at which the business could be concluded. If it were possible for the Land Drainage Bill to be taken on Wednesday instead of Thursday that would be an improvement.
LORD PARMOOR: My Lords, I quite understand what the noble Marquess has said. It will certainly be taken at the first possible moment.
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before five o'clock.