Lords Sitting of 9 November 1939

Preamble
The House met at half past three of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend the Lord President of the Council, I beg to move the Motion which stands in his name on the Order Paper.
Moved, That Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered in order to its being suspended for this day's sitting.—(Lord Templemore.)
On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.

CHARTERED AND OTHER BODIES (TEMPORARY PROVISIONS) BILL. [H.L.]
Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
House in Committee accordingly:
[The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair.]
Clause 1 agreed to.
Clause 2:
Power to reduce number of members of statutory bodies, etc.
2.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, His Majesty may by Order in Council—
(a) make, with respect to any corporation or body of persons of which the constitution is regulated by or under any Act, such provision for extending the term of office of members or officers of the corporation or body, or postponing the date of election of new members or officers of the corporation or body, or for the filling of vacancies among such members or officers;
as appears to His Majesty to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of securing economy or efficiency in the carrying on of the work of the corporation or body under war conditions.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT CALDECOTE)THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT CALDECOTE) moved, in paragraph (a) of subsection (1), to leave out "of which
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the constitution is regulated by or under" and insert "constituted by any Act or Order in Council, or by any Minister of the Crown or Government Department acting in pursuance of." The noble and learned Viscount said: In Clause 2 there is a provision, in subsection (1) (a), by which the term of office of members of certain corporations or bodies may be extended. The form in which the Bill has been drafted would make it possible for an order to be made in respect of an ordinary limited liability company. Of course there was no intention that any such company should be subject to the provisions of this subsection, and therefore I beg to move this Amendment.
Amendment moved—
Page 2, line 4, leave out from ("persons") to ("any") in line 5, and insert ("constituted by any Act or Order in Council, or by any Minister of the Crown or Government Department acting in pursuance of").—(The Lord Chancellor.)
On Question, Amendment agreed to.
Clause 2, as amended, agreed to.
Remaining clauses agreed to.
Schedule agreed to.
Then, Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended, Amendment reported, Bill read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.

PRICES OF GOODS BILL.
Amendments reported (according to Order).
Then, Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended, Bill read 3a, with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
LORD SNELL LORD SNELL had given Notice that he would ask His Majesty's Government if they have any statement to make on the international situation; and move for Papers. The noble Lord said: My Lords, I understand that there is no statement to be made to-day, and in consequence I will not move the Motion which stands in my name. I would, however, express my own and, I believe, the wishes of the whole House that the Prime Minister will be speedily restored to complete health.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (EARL STANHOPE): My Lords, I need hardly say how grateful we are for the expression of sympathy by the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition. I understand that the attack of gout from which the Prime Minister is suffering is likely to be of short duration. From what we know in the past, when he has had a short rest from one of these attacks he usually returns to the fray with a renewed vigour, and even in greater fettle to deal with the difficult situation in which the country finds itself than he was before the attack began. I hope that may again be the experience on this occasion. I am very much obliged to the noble Lord opposite. I am sure it will give great pleasure to the Prime Minister himself.
With regard to next week's business, there is none on the Paper of your Lordships' House for Tuesday. Therefore I propose that we should meet on Wednesday of next week, November 15, for the first time in the week. For that day the noble Lord, Lord Arnold, has a Motion on the Paper for a Secret Session of the House. On Thursday, the 16th, it is expected that a statement will be made on behalf of the Government, on the Motion by the noble Lord opposite similar
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to the one he was good enough to with-hold to-day. There will also be the National Loans Bill which will come up to us the night before from another place. I understand that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is anxious that that Bill should go through as soon as possible, and therefore I shall ask your Lordships to pass it through all its stages here on Thursday. I hope to be able to get a copy of the Bill as presented in another place, so that it can be circulated to your Lordships earlier in the week, and thus you will have an opportunity of studying it before it comes to your Lordships' House. I hope that will be satisfactory to your Lordships. I am sorry that the House will not have a longer opportunity of considering the measure than that one day. We propose that there should be a Royal Commission that evening, for that measure, if your Lordships so approve, and also the two Bills that we have dealt with to-day.
LORD SNELL: Will the House meet at half-past three on Wednesday?
EARL STANHOPE: Yes, at half-past three both on Wednesday and Thursday.
House adjourned at twenty-one minutes before four o'clock.