Lords Sitting of 13 February 1940

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

COTTON INDUSTRY BILL. [H.L.]
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to provide for establishing a board to perform certain services for the benefit of the cotton industry and certain other functions; for the making of payments by cotton spinners to meet the expenses of the board, and to provide their contribution to the Empire Cotton Growing Corporation; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. I beg to move that the Bill be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(Lord Templemore.)
On Question, Bill read 1a, and to be printed.

SPECIAL ENACTMENTS (EXTENSION OF TIME) BILL. [H.L.]
LORD TEMPLEMORE: My Lords on behalf of my noble friend Earl Fortescue I beg leave to introduce a Bill to provide for extensions of time in relation to the discharge of duties imposed, or the exercise of powers conferred, by statutory provisions of a local or private nature, and in relation to the exercise of powers to purchase or powers of re-entry exercisable in relation to, public utility undertakings. I beg to move that the Bill be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(Lord Templemore.)
On Question, Bill read 1a, and to be printed.

SOLICITORS (EMERGENCY PROVISIONS) BILL. [H.L.]
LORD WRIGHT: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to provide for meeting difficulties arising from the present emergency and affecting solicitors or their articled clerks; to amend the enactments relating to articled clerks and the application of the proceeds of fees payable, to the Registrar of Solicitors; and
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for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid. I beg to move that the Bill be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(Lord Wright.)
On Question, Bill read 1a and to be printed.

SUNDAY ENTERTAINMENTS ACT, 1932:
  THE URBAN DISTRICT OF BRENTWOOD ORDER.

    THE URBAN DISTRICT OF BROMSGROVE ORDER.
    THE URBAN DISTRICT OF CANVEY ISLAND ORDER.
    THE URBAN DISTRICT OF FELTHAM ORDER.
    THE BOROUGH OF GODALMING ORDER.
    THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE MARQUESS OF DUFFERIN AND AVA): My Lords, I beg to move that these Orders made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department under the Sunday Entertainments Act, 1932, be approved.
    Moved, That the Orders made by the Secretary of State for the Home Department under the Sunday Entertainments Act, 1932, and laid before the House on Tuesday last, be approved.—(The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava.)
    On Question, Motion agreed to.

TRADE BOARDS AND ROAD HAULAGE WAGES (EMERGENCY PROVISIONS) BILL
Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
3.34 P.m.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (EARL STANHOPE): My Lords, the main purpose of this Bill is to give the Minister of Labour and National Service powers to modify or suspend certain provisions of the Trade Boards Act and of the Road Haulage Wages Act by means of regulation. The idea is not that there should be any drastic alteration by regulation, but simply that those two Acts should be adapted to present war-time conditions in the way that is felt to be necessary by everybody connected with

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the industry. For instance, under the Trade Boards Act a trade board has to give two months public notice before the rates of wages can be submitted to the Minister of Labour for confirmation. That, in these days, I think your Lordships will agree, is far too long. Therefore it is proposed to allow the trade boards to reduce the period of notice before they submit a rate of wages to be confirmed, provided that that time is no less than two weeks instead of two months. Again, trade boards cannot function unless there is present a definite quorum; which has to be at least one-third of the members representing employers and workers. It is proposed by the new regulation that there should be one representative of employers, one of the workers and one independent person, so that it will be very easy to obtain meetings and get on with the business.
There is one other point which is of some importance. That is that under the Road Haulage Wages Act licences are given to vehicles and to drivers of vehicles, but the Minister of Transport, since the war began, has found it preferable to give war-time permits, and therefore the whole arrangement of the Act hardly fits in with the war-time permits as it is always confined to licences. Under this Bill the permits will come in equally with licences, and, if the war went on long enough, would gradually supersede the licences altogether. I might perhaps mention one further point. As your Lordships know, there are A, B and C licences. The C licences are confined to those who carry goods not for profit but for the purpose of their own business. The Minister of Transport, rightly as I think your Lordships will feel, has arranged that there should be groups of vehicles by means of which they will be able to help each other and save petrol. There are some cases where owners of C vehicles do carry goods for other people, but that obviously is not turning a C into an A or a B licence. Therefore it is proposed in those cases that they should be treated as C licences, although in fact it is not quite so according to the present law. I may say that the whole of this legislation is purely temporary and it will come to an end at the termination of the emergency. It has been submitted both to the employers and the workers. Everybody connected
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with the industry is entirely satisfied with it and agrees with the provisions of this Bill, [hope therefore that your Lordships will be prepared to give it a Second Reading.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Earl Stanhope.)
LORD SNELL: My Lords, this Bill has passed through all its stages in another place. It has received careful examination from those who are experts both in regard to wages, conditions and hours and those who are concerned in general transport questions. I speak for the trade unions on this occasion, and ask your Lordships to remember that they are very anxious that the Bill should pass at as early a time as possible. Therefore I hope that the general commendation of the Bill will justify your Lordships in giving it a Second Reading and passing it through all its stages without undue delay.
On Question, Bill read 2a, and committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

MENTAL DEFICIENCY (SCOTLAND) BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a (according to Order), and passed, and sent to the Commons.
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE.
EARL STANHOPE: My Lords, as I think your Lordships are aware, Lord Gorell has taken his Motion relative to the Army Educational Corps off the Paper for to-morrow, and has put it down under "No day named." Therefore there is no business on the Paper for to-morrow. I propose, therefore, that the House should not meet for legislative business at all to-morrow, but should adjourn this afternoon till Thursday at half-past three o'clock.