§ LORD PARMOORMy Lords, I should like to ask if the noble and learned Marquess the Leader of the House can give us any information as to the future conduct and dates of the Economy Bill. So far as we are concerned, we raise no objection, to pressing it forward in any reasonable way.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (THE MARQUESS OF READING)My Lords, I am glad to give the noble and learned Lord that information. The Economy Bill would have reached your Lordships' House, in the ordinary course, on Monday next, but in consequence of the course that has been taken in the House of Commons an extra day has been used, and the result will be, so far as I can at present ascertain—I think this represents the situation—that the Economy Bill will not come to your Lordships' House until next Tuesday. The time at which it is expected is half-past seven. This is the course that I should propose might be taken—namely, that the First Reading should be taken on Tuesday, when the Bill reaches this House, and on Wednesday we should take the Second Reading; and then I would ask your Lordships to let the Bill go through all its stages on that date, after the debate on the Second Reading. There are very good grounds for asking your Lordships to expedite the Bill in that way. I will explain them more fully when the time comes. The only other information I can give is that we expect the Finance Bill to come to this House on the Friday, and I hope we may be able to deal with that in the same way. That will dispose of the two Bills next week, if, of course, that is the view of your Lordships.
§ LORD PARMOORI should like to ask one further question. Does not the noble Marquess think that it might be convenient 136 to meet rather earlier on Wednesday, say at three o'clock, in order to get through all the stages of the Bill? I quite sympathise with his desire to do so.
§ THE MARQUESS OF READINGCertainly I think we could meet at three o'clock on Wednesday. That will give us further time. We could have a full debate, and I hope that will enable us to go through all the stages on that day.