§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend the Leader of the House, I beg to move the Motion standing in his name on the Order Paper.
§ Moved, That Standing Order No. XXI. be considered in order to its being dispensed with on Thursday next for the purpose of giving the Question of the Viscount Swinton precedence over the other Orders of the Day.—(Lord Shepherd.)
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, I am much obliged to the Leader of the House for having taken this step and inviting your Lordships to consider this matter as the first business on Thursday, but I think it would be convenient if we cleared up exactly what the procedure will be. Normally under our procedure, if there is an unstarred Question the noble Lord in whose name it stands introduces the Question with a speech, the Minister replies and a debate follows. In this particular instance, after consultation with my friends on this side of the House and with the noble Viscount the Leader of the House, I think the most convenient course for the House would be 1010 for the Question which stands in my name to be formally asked by the Chief Opposition Whip and the Minister then to make his statement. If your Lordships are agreeable, I would then follow the Minister and the debate would take place. At the close of the debate either the Minister by the leave of the House —which I am sure would be given—or the Leader of the House himself would reply to the debate. The noble Viscount, Lord Addison, I believe agrees with that course, if it is agreeable to your Lordships, and it would be convenient if we had that on record as the procedure which we should adopt on Thursday. I take it that we are to sit at 3.30 o'clock on Thursday.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (VISCOUNT ADDISON)My Lords, I agree that that would be the more convenient procedure. We shall be meeting at 3.30 o'clock on Thursday.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.