§ 4.5 P.m.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DOMINION AFFAIRS (VISCOUNT ADDISON)My Lords, we enter upon the heaviest part of the work of the Session next week, and I think it may be useful to your Lordships if I make a brief announcement on the arrangements we have made, after consultation through the usual channels, for future sittings of the House. In general, we shall ask your:Lordships to sit on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week. The hour of meeting will he at 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and at 4 p.m. on Monday and Thursday, so long as the judicial Sittings of your Lordships continue. The hour of rising will not be later than 11 p.m There will be an Adjournment for dinner each night between 7 and 8.30. It would be a great convenience if those of your Lordships who wish to dine in the House on any night would kindly let the manageress of the Refreshment Department know of their intention by lunch-time that day.
I may add that my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack has informed me that there will be no judicial Sitting on the afternoon of Thursday next, and I am 198 therefore arranging that we should meet that clay at 2.30 p.m., instead of 4 p.m.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I confirm what the noble Viscount the Leader of the House has said. He was good enough to consult us about this programme, and I am quite certain that in the special circumstances noble Lords in all parts of the House will agree to the later sittings now proposed, There is one small practical point I would like to put to the noble Viscount which has come to my notice only within the last few minutes. I understand that there will be certain difficulties about transport at 11 p.m., when buses and other methods of transport stop. It might be for the convenience of the House, if it were possible, that we should adjourn perhaps a quarter or even half an hour earlier. That would be a matter which the noble Viscount the Leader of the House might consider.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONCertainly; I am glad the noble Lord mentioned the point, and like him, I was not aware of it until a few minutes ago. I am quite sure that it will be the desire of all parties to meet your Lordships' convenience, and if it is found more convenient to adjourn at 10.45 p.m., or even 10.30 p.m., it would be right to do so. But perhaps we could leave that until later to see how we go on.
May I raise another small point which has this moment been brought to my notice? I understand that in consequence of these arrangements a little extra petrol may be required by some of your Lordships. If that is so, I am sure we shall be very glad to do what is possible to meet that necessity, if your Lordships will inform the Whips in the usual way.