LORD PONSONI1Y OF SHULBREDEMy Lords, before we adjourn perhaps the noble and learned Viscount the Leader of the House will tell us when the Committee stage of the Road and Rail Traffic Bill will be taken, and also at what, time the House will meet to-morrow?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM)My Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for ask- 51 ing the question. I am afraid we shall have to ask your Lordships' House to meet on Monday of next week, because it is desired to get the Prorogation by Friday. I do not see how it is possible to arrange that unless we have the Committee stage of the Bill on Monday next. I hope, therefore, that noble Lords who have Amendments will be good enough to put them down as soon as they conveniently can so that your Lordships may have an opportunity of considering them before they are discussed. If the Committee stage should take more than one day then I shall propose to go on with it on Tuesday the 14th.
With regard to to-morrow, there are, as your Lordships know, two Motions down, one in the name of my noble friend Lord Peel with regard to China, and the other in the name of the noble Lord the 52 Leader of the Opposition (Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede) with regard to the Disarmament Conference. Neither of those is a topic which we would desire to have hurried. Both are matters of grave importance. I have ascertained from the judicial authorities that it would be no inconvenience to them if your Lordships' House were to meet at three o'clock to-morrow. I propose, therefore, that we should meet at that time to-morrow and then we will take first my noble friend Lord Peel's Motion. I understand that the Bill of my noble friend Lord Jessel will only take a few minutes for a statement to be made upon it. Then we can proceed to take the Motion which stands in the name of the Leader of the Opposition.
§ House adjourned at twelve minutes past seven o'clock.