BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 14 July 1938)

§ LORD SNELL
My Lords, I beg to ask the noble Earl the Leader of the House if he has any statement to make about future business.

§ EARL STANHOPE
My Lords, I hope it will not be too much of a shock to your Lordships, after having disposed of the Coal Bill and thinking perhaps that we should now have less to do, if I say that I shall have to ask your Lordships to meet five days next week. On Monday I propose that we should meet at three o'clock, because I understand that many of your Lordships have received commands to attend elsewhere that afternoon. There will be the Committee stage of the Essential Commodities Reserves Bill and the Second Reading of the Anglo-Turkish (Armament Credits) Agreement Bill. I do not think either of those Bills will take very long, and therefore I think if we meet at three o'clock your Lordships will be able to obey commands elsewhere. On Tuesday I propose that we should meet at a quarter past four. I think the business for that day is on the Paper. On Wednesday I propose that we shall meet at a quarter before four, unless the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition thinks that a very large number of people are likely to take part in the debate on his Motion on migration. There 890 is the Committee stage of the Fire Brigades Bill that day, but as far as I know that will not take very long. Therefore, although there are three introductions, I should think there would be enough time to get through the business if we meet at 3.45 p.m. Perhaps the noble Lord knows if there are likely to be many Peers taking part in the debate on his Motion?

§ LORD SNELL
I have no knowledge that my Motion will arouse great controversy. I should think that it would he more or less an uncontroversial exploration.

§ EARL STANHOPE
Then I suggest that we should meet at the usual hour, 3.45 p.m. On Thursday we have a meeting of the Offices Committee at three o'clock. There is a good deal of business that day, including the Second Reading of the Finance Bill, and I know that several noble Lords are proposing to take part in that debate, but in view of the fact that there is that meeting of the Offices Committee I am afraid it will not be possible to meet before the usual hour. On Friday I think it will be necessary to have a short sitting in the morning to deal with the Report stage of the Bacon Industry Bill and perhaps the Fire Brigades Bill. Both Bills will have to go back to another place to deal with Amendments which will have been made in them. I think there is nothing further I can say except that on the following Monday, July 25, I think it will be necessary to meet, and I suggest that we should meet at three o'clock. We are likely to have three Second Readings, and there will be the Third Reading stages of several other Bills which should not take very long. We shall also meet on Tuesday and Wednesday in that week. I think that is all the information I can give your Lordships at this moment.