§ 4.6 p.m.
§ EARL FORTESCUEMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission I will make a short statement on our Business for next week. As your Lordships are aware, it is hoped to be able to rise for the Christmas Recess to-morrow fortnight, December 7. But before we can be in a position to do that, we shall have certain Bills of importance, though we hope of a non-contentious nature, to receive from another place and to complete before we rise. Two of these Bills, the Home Guard Bill and the Japanese Treaty Bill, we expect to receive from another place on Wednesday next, in which event it has been arranged, through the usual channels, that your Lordships should take the Second Reading on the following day, which is Thursday, November 29.
Lord Elton's Bill, The Spring Traps Bill, in which several of your Lordships are interested, is already down for Second Reading on that day, and in order to enable us to complete our programme without imperilling the discussion on Lord Elton's Bill, we have asked the noble Lord whether he will be good enough to bring forward the Second Reading of his Bill to Wednesday next, November 28. At our request, and with the general assent of noble Lords opposite, the noble Lord, Lord Silkin, has kindly consented to postpone until after the Recess his Motion on housing, at present standing on that day, and there is, therefore, at present, nothing beyond a starred Question on the Paper for that afternoon. Steps are being taken to acquaint noble Lords who have been invited to support Lord Elton of the change of date. We are always sorry to disturb the Business on the Paper, but in the present circumstances there has been no alternative.
§ VISCOUNT STANSGATEMay I ask the noble Earl whether that means that the last chance for speaking on the Japanese Treaty will be next week?—I gather that the answer is, "Yes."