§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy 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 780 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.