§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (EARL STANHOPE)My Lords, as I ventured to tell the House yesterday, it is proposed that there should be an adjournment to-morrow for three-quarters of an hour in order that we may welcome Their Majesties on their return from abroad. As the House meets at a quarter past four, there will therefore be only a short sitting, before that adjournment, for dealing with the Civil Defence Bill, on which a large number of your Lordships may wish to speak. I admit 650 that instead of being optimistic, as the noble Viscount said the Government Front Bench always were, I was pessimistic with regard to the length of our sitting to-day, and I therefore suggested that your Lordships should meet early and so get done before dinner. Perhaps the noble Viscount will think I am again being pessimistic in suggesting that tomorrow, as we shall adjourn from a quarter past five until six o'clock, we may not finish our business before dinner, and that it may be necessary to meet again after dinner. Perhaps that will be pessimistic as regards dinner but optimistic as regards the debate! Therefore I only want to suggest to your Lordships that if we find there are a large number of speakers it may be necessary to sit again after dinner in order to finish the debate on the Civil Defence Bill.
§ House adjourned at six o'clock.