Lords Sitting of 24 July 1940

Preamble
The House met at three of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
MID-WESSEX WATER BILL. [H.L.]
Returned from the Commons, agreed to, with Amendments: The said Amendments considered, and agreed to.

SECRET SESSION: FOREIGN POLICY.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT CALDECOTE): My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing in my name on the Paper.
Moved to resolve, That the sitting of the House this day on the Motion of Lord Addison be secret.—(Viscount Caldecote.)
LORD ADDISON: My Lords, before this Motion is agreed to I should like, on behalf of my noble friends and hope of others, to say that I am quite sure that your Lordships will agree with me that Parliament requires to be very careful as to the number of times that it sits in secret. Our functions are largely to help and guide the people and to focus opinion, and it is not possible to do that if we meet in secret. We have agreed, for reasons which are well understood, that we should meet in secret to-day, but I think it is fair to say that those with whom I am associated hope that we shall be frugal in the number of Secret Sessions which we hold.
On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.
The Official Reporter then withdrew.
House in Secret Session.
Moved, That an humble Address be presented to His Majesty for Papers relating to the foreign policy of His Majesty's Government.—(Lord Addison.)
After debate, Motion (by leave of the House) withdrawn.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before nine o'clock.