§ 2.35 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)My Lords, before we proceed to the Business of the House, I am sure that I shall have the concurrence of all your Lordships—and I say this after conference with the leaders of the other Parties—if I venture to speak on behalf of the whole House in expressing our deep concern at the illness of His Majesty, our sincere sympathy with him and with the Royal Family, and our earnest hope that, as rapidly and as completely as it is physically possible, he will be restored to health. We know that His Majesty's illness has been largely contributed to by the self-denying way in which he discharges his high duties. And in respect of that, we share with our fellow citizens of the Commonwealth in Australia and New Zealand their disappointment that His Majesty's visit to those countries has had to be postponed. We all welcome the statements made by their own Prime Ministers to-day assuring us that their sympathy, as ours, is with His Majesty, and that they recognise that everything must be subordinated to endeavouring to make sure that His Majesty has every possible opportunity of being restored to health as fully and as rapidly as possible.