HL Deb 14 December 1943 vol 130 cc334-5

Order of the Day for the consideration of the First Report from the Select Committee read.

The Committee reported as follows:

1.—Estimates.

The Estimate for the House of Lords' Offices for 1944 was laid before the Committee and approved.

2.—Civil Service War Bonus.

The Committee sanctioned the application of Treasury Circular No. 20/43 for payment of War Bonus to the staff of the House of Lords to whom it applies.

3.—Senior Messenger, Due for Retirement.

The Committee sanctioned a pension and additional allowance under the Superannuation Act, 1909, to James Park who reaches the retiring age on December 16, 1943, after 20 years' service, and also sanctioned payment of salary to Mr. Park from that dare on his re-appointment as a temporary messenger.

4.—Sub-Committees.

The Sub-Committee on the Refreshment Department was re-appointed as follows:—The Earl of Lucan, the Lord Stanmore, the Lord Jessel, the Lord Atkin, the Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, the Lord Southwood, with the Lord Great Chamberlain and the Clerk of the Parliaments.

The Library Sub-Committee was reappointed as follows:—The Marquess of Crewe, the Earl of Ilchester, the Earl of Onslow, the Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, the Lord Stanmore, the Lord Atkin, the Lord Macmillan, the Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede, with the Clerk of the Parliaments.

THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF ONSLOW)

My Lords, I should like to make a very humble apology to your Lordships for being absent when the House went into Committee on the Courts (Emergency Powers) (Scotland) Bill. There were three Burma Special Orders which the India Office was anxious to get through and so a meeting of the Burma Committee was called to meet shortly after the assembly of the House. I had every reason to believe that there would be time to get the Orders through before the Courts (Emergency Powers) (Scotland) Bill was reached by your Lordships, but I was mistaken in my estimate of the distance between the Committee Room and this Chamber. It is not inconsiderable and I was unable to get here in time, to serve your Lordships in the way I ought to do. May I, in apologizing to your Lordships, express my grateful thanks to my noble friend Lord Templemore, for so bravely filling the breach? I have now to move that the First Report from the Select Committee on the House of Lords Offices be considered and adopted. It is the usual Report we have at the beginning of the Session dealing with estimates and so forth, and I do not think it is necessary to say anything more about it. It is purely formal.

Moved, That the Report be now considered and agreed to.—(The Earl of Onslow.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.