BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 17 October 1946)

§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT ADDISON)
My Lords, before we come to the business on the Order Paper, I should like to take this opportunity of informing the House that for the purpose of receiving Bills from another place, there will be a purely formal meeting of the House for public business to-morrow (Friday) afternoon at a quarter past four o'clock. Further, my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack has informed me that there will be no judicial sitting of the House on Monday next, and that consequently if the House so desires, the Chamber will be free for them to meet at half past two that afternoon, instead of at four o'clock as we had originally anticipated. As the House is aware, it is proposed to continue that afternoon the Committee stage of the National Health Service Bill, on which there are a number of Amendments, and I have accordingly told my noble and learned friend that unless your Lordships have any objection to this course, we shall be delighted to avail ourselves of the opportunity of the earlier meeting at half past two as this will enable us to make further progress with the Committee stage. I think your Lordships will agree that at this period of the Session time is too precious to be wasted. I hope that it will meet with your Lordships' convenience that we should meet at half past two on Monday afternoon, instead of at four o'clock.

VISCOUNT CRANBORNE
My Lords, I am quite sure I shall be voicing the view of noble Lords on this side of the House when I say that we are delighted to hear that the House can meet at half past two on Monday. We shall be quite prepared to agree to that proposal.

§ VISCOUNT ADDISON
My Lords, I beg to move that Standing Orders No. XXI and XXXIX be considered.

§ VISCOUNT ADDISON
My Lords, I beg to move that these Standing Orders be suspended for the remainder of the Session, and I should state my reason for doing so. I may say that I took the opportunity of consulting the noble Viscount, Lord Cranborne, the Leader of the Opposition before submitting this Motion. Its purpose is to enable us to get through the Bills that are now before us and one or two small Bills that are yet to come, before the end of the Session. It means that in this way Government business will take precedence. At the same time, I should like to state that we have every desire to meet the convenience of the House with regard to important discussions which it may be desirable, if possible, to fit in between now and the end of the Session. In particular, there is one relating to foreign affairs which the noble Viscount opposite, Lord Cranborne, mentioned to me he desired to have and for which we shall find time. There is, too, another subject which has also been particularly suggested for debate, and for which also I hope we shall be able to find time, one dealing with matters relating to Germany, which we could not reach last Tuesday. Subject to this understanding in respect of these matters and of emergencies, upon which we shall be only too glad and anxious to meet the convenience of the House, I hope that your Lordships will agree to my Motion.

VISCOUNT CRANBORNE
My Lords, the Leader of the House did speak to me about this and I consulted some of my friends. We are all convinced that there is no option before us but to accept the suggestion made by the noble Lord opposite. Obviously, the House does not like its time taken up. We have a number of Motions, some of considerable importance, and all of interest, and we should have preferred that it should not have been necessary to postpone those, but we 345 realize the difficulties in which the Government are placed. They have a certain amount of legislation which must be passed before the end of the Session. In view of that fact I feel quite certain that noble Lords on this side of the House will agree that whatever must be done must be done, and we shall do it with a very good grace.
I have only one other word to say. The noble Viscount, the Leader of the House, mentioned that an exception would be made for a foreign affairs debate and, I think, a debate on Germany, which had to be postponed the other day. I do not know at the moment of any other debates in respect of which we should wish to come to the leader of the House and ask for a further exception. But should there be any matters of very urgent public importance I feel quite certain that we can come to an agreement with regard to those also.

§ VISCOUNT SAMUEL
My Lords, a Motion of this character is not unusual at this stage of the Session, and we on these Benches concur in the necessary inevitability in respect of which the noble Viscount, the Leader of the House, has spoken. I am glad that room has been found for debates on the two topics mentioned by the Leader of the House, and on that understanding and the understanding that any other very urgent business will be provided for, we cordially agree—well, I do not say cordially; we reluctantly agree to the Motion.