§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, before we proceed with the other matters on 691 the Order Paper I think it would be convenient if I made a statement. There was originally upon the Paper the Committee stage of the Improvement of Live Stock (Licensing of Bulls) Bill. Unfortunately, we only heard late yesterday that Earl De La Warr was an influenza patient and could not be here for some days, much to our regret. Therefore, that Bill, of course, cannot be taken this afternoon. There was also on the Paper the British Museum and National Galleries (Overseas Loans) Bill. I do not know how it was—I suppose it was my fault—that that came to be upon the Paper, but after consulting those people who are chiefly interested and whose interest I knew, I found that the day for which they desired that Bill to be put down was to-morrow, Wednesday. Therefore, I would ask your Lordships' permission to put the Bill on the Paper for to-morrow.
§ LORD STRACHIEMy Lords, I think I have some reason to complain of the statement which has just been made by the noble and learned Lord, the Lord President of the Council, in which he says that the Improvement of Live Stock (Licensing of Bulls) Bill will not be taken to-day but put off till another day. The day mentioned in the Notice circulated to your Lordships was February 10, and I understand it is now going to be put off till the 11th. I do not complain of that alteration, but I do complain very much indeed of the way in which it has been put off. I understand that the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry Agriculture intimated either on Saturday or Sunday to the Ministry of Agriculture—and I suppose to his Whips—that it would be impossible for him to be here to-day. One would have thought that it would have been, I do not say a matter of courtesy, but a matter of consideration, that the noble Earl would have communicated not only with my noble friend the Earl of Lucan but also with my noble friend Lord Stanmore. Apparently he communicated with nobody except the noble Earl, Lord Lucan, and I understand he was only communicated with late on Monday. I only heard of it purely by accident at five o'clock and afterwards—at six o'clock—the noble Earl, Lord Lucan, was kind enough to come and see me and tell me that the Bill had been put off till another day.
692 It has caused great inconvenience not only to myself, but also, I know, to some noble Lords who were coming here to support my Amendments. I do not want to make this a question of discourtesy, but I do think that there was want of consideration on the part of the Government, and especially of the noble Earl, in not taking the trouble to telegraph to myself and to other noble Lords. I understand that this is not the first time that your Lordships have been treated in this way in matters of this kind in being given very scant notice, and I feel that I must protest on behalf of other people as well as myself at the want of consideration with which we have been treated by the Government and especially by the noble Earl.
§ VISCOUNT BRIDGEMANMy Lords, I should like to associate myself with the sense of grievance which the noble Lord who has just spoken has expressed. It is especially hard on people who live in the country—and after all those interested in the licensing of bulls are more likely to live in the country than in town—that they should be brought up to town in order to listen to a debate on this Bill and should find when they get here that it is put off indefinitely. If, as the noble Lord said, there was reason to suppose that the noble Earl who was going to conduct the Bill in Committee was unwell on Saturday last, I think that something might have been done to give your Lordships Notice of the difficulty yesterday. Otherwise it was impossible for country people to know what was happening.
LORD LOVATMy Lords, as a Peer who lives at very considerable distance from this House I wish to associate myself with both the noble Lords who have spoken from these Benches and with my noble friend Lord Strachie. I think that both the Front Benches are equally blameable in this particular respect. I live at a distance of some 500 miles from Westminster and I came down specially to attend this sitting and to vote, if necessary, on the Bill. I know that a considerable number of stockbreeders also came down to hear the proceedings: I came down in the same train with two or three of them. I think that those of us who live in the country and are able to attend this House deserve some consideration. I have often complained to our own Front Bench in the 693 past as a Back Bencher and I must repeat my complaint at the present time. I think we ought to have been given longer notice or else that this very simple Bill should have been taken upon the date arranged for it. It is the kind of Bill that anybody could conduct in this House and it is a great pity that we are not to go on with it to-day.
§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, I am very sorry about this matter, but I think there is some misapprehension. I do not know where the noble Lord, Lord, Strachie, obtained his information, but the first that I knew of my noble friend's illness was about three o'clock yesterday afternoon, and my noble friend Lord Marley immediately communicated by telephone with Lord Lucan. He could not do so before, but he did his best to prevent any inconvenience. I think this should be clearly understood. I regret as much as anyone that there should be any inconvenience but it was a case of sudden illness. We only heard of it at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, and we at once communicated with the Opposition Whip. What more could we have done? I apologise to the two noble Lords opposite and to Lord Strachie for having caused them inconvenience, but I do not think we could have done more. I am told that Lord Lucan agreed to communicate with Lord Strachie as well as with the members of his Party. I do not know whether Lord Strachie received a communication.