§ 2.37 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONMy Lords, events have made it necessary to alter very considerably our provisional programme of business for the remainder of this week and next week. If I may, I will take this, the earliest, opportunity of informing the House of the business which we shall have before us in the next ten 16 days. To-morrow, Wednesday, June 30, our first business will be a Motion for an Humble Address to the King in reply to the Message which I have just had the honour to present to your Lordships this afternoon. We shall then take the Commons Amendments to the Children Bill which I understand are quite non-controversial (and of which prints are available in the Printed Paper Office) in order to enable that Bill to receive the Royal Assent later in the afternoon. This will be followed by the Motions for the approval of the Town and Country Planning Bill (Minerals) and other Regulations, as reported from the Special Orders Committee a fortnight ago, upon which my noble and learned friend on the Woolsack is expecting some debate. After we have dealt with these, we shall take Lord Gage's question on the Local Government Boundary Commission's Report, Lord Monkswell's Motion on the policy of the National Railways, and finally, Lord Fairfax of Cameron's question on the import of fruit and other commodities from South Africa into this country.
On Thursday next, July I, we shall take the Police Pensions Regulations and the Committee stage of the Statute Law Revision Bill which is of a formal character. We shall then resume the adjourned debate on the Committee stage of the Public Registers and Records (Scotland) Bill. After that, if we have not concluded the Report stage of the Criminal Justice Bill by 6 o'clock this afternoon, we shall hope to conclude that stage of the Bill. This business will be followed by a question of the Duke of Montrose on the production of the Government hearing aid, and a question by Lord Ailwyn on the security position in Malaya. The House will meet on Thursday at 4 p.m.
On Monday next, July 5, we shall meet at 2.30 p.m., when we propose to take as first business the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill, followed by the Second Reading of the Monopoly Inquiry and Control Bill and the Third Reading of the Criminal Justice Bill. To-day week, Tuesday, July 6, we shall open the Committee stage of the Gas Bill. On Wednesday, the 7th, we shall have a debate on the Marshall Aid Treaty proposals, and on Thursday, the 8th (when I hope we shall again be able to meet at 2.30 p.m.) we shall again go into Committee on the Gas Bill. I should 17 add, my Lords, that I hope at about 3.30 o'clock to be allowed to interrupt our proceedings this afternoon in order to make, at the same time as the Prime Minister in another place, a statement on the strike situation.