§ 2.46 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)My Lords, before we start on the Second Reading of the Motor Spirit (Regulation) Bill, may I intervene to indicate what we propose for the later stages, after consultation with noble Lords opposite? As your Lordships are aware, if the basic ration is to be restored on June 1 next, this Bill must be on the Statute Book before that date. With these limitations of time in front of us, we suggest that the House should deal with the Committee stage of this Bill as first Order when we reassemble after Whitsun on Tuesday, May 25. We shall postpone the Committee stage of the British Nationality Bill about which some of your Lordships expressed a desire for a little more time after the Second Reading yesterday until Monday, May 31. We shall leave where it is the other business now standing on the Order Paper for Tuesday, May 25 and shall hope to be able to deal with it after the Committee stage of the Motor Spirit (Regulation) Bill has been completed.
As it will be necessary to send the Bill back to another place as quickly as possible for consideration of any Amendments which we may have made we shall take the Report and Third Reading stages of the Motor Spirit Bill on the day after the Committee stage—namely, on Wednesday, May 26. I sincerely hope that, 816 in the entirely exceptional circumstances, your Lordships will forgive this exceptional haste in dealing with the further stages of this Bill.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, I feel sure the whole House will fall in with the arrangements which the Leader of the House has proposed. It means taking the Bill very quickly, but the reasons for doing so are urgent. At the same time, as the noble Viscount the Leader of the House has indicated, the postponement of another important Bill will give us the ample time which we must have for the consideration in Committee of the Motor Spirit Bill. Not only are there Amendments which your Lordships will wish to put down, but I understand that the Government, very properly, are also utilising this House not for purposes in connection with the character of the Bill but for their own purposes. If we have a full debate, and full consideration in Committee, one result may be that the Report and Third Reading will be quite short. I appreciate how inconvenient it is to impinge upon the time of private members on a Wednesday, but in this particular case, if the Bill is to pass, I do not see what else we can do.
THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, I quite agree. But does it mean that we shall have the Committee stage of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill on the same day as we are taking the Committee stage of this Bill? If so, I do not know how late we shall sit.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONI understood that the other matters on the Order Paper for that day were not likely to occupy any considerable time. However, in view of what the noble Earl has said, I will look into the position again and let him know.
§ VISCOUNT SIMONWill the arrangements and dates now indicated and accepted interfere in any way with what I think was the arrangement, that the Committee stage of the Criminal Justice Bill should be taken on June 1?
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONI have not the list of Bills before me but I think that that stands where it is. If it does not, I will certainly inform the noble and learned Viscount.
§ VISCOUNT SIMONI think it is still on the Paper.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONFor the convenience of the House, perhaps in view of the great interest taken in the British Nationality Bill, the noble Viscount, Lord Addison, will make a statement. I understand that the Committee stage of that Bill would have been taken on Tuesday. Can it now be taken on the following Monday, May 31? If we could have it on record, we would be prepared to agree to that.
§ VISCOUNT ADDISONI think I have said that in order to allow ample time for that Bill, we shall adopt that course. Noble Lords wanted a little longer between Second Reading and Committee stage, and that is why the programme has been arranged in this way.