§ 2.44 p.m.
THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I beg to move,
That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty under section seven of the Emergency Laws (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1947, praying that the Defence Regulations specified in the Schedule hereto, which would otherwise expire on the tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and fifty-two, be continued in force for a further period of one year until the tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and fifty-three.I need not, I think, read out seriatim the regulations which appear in the Schedule; they are on the Order Paper which is before your Lordships. I must, however, in a few sentences, remind your Lordships of the position in regard to this Motion. This Motion, and the one which appears after it in my name on the Order Paper to-day, were two of five Motions which came before this House a short time ago. I then suggested to your Lordships, and your Lordships found it convenient, that we should have one debate on the subject matter of all the Motions. But, inasmuch as in 639 another place the same Motions were on the same day being discussed, and inasmuch as in regard to two of them—namely, the two which appear on the Order Paper to-day—it was possible that Amendments might be carried, it appeared convenient that we should postpone the final consideration of these two Motions until we knew what had taken place in another place.In that other place, these two Motions which stand in my name to-day were carried without amendment. Accordingly, I propose to put them before your Lordships to-day without amendment. I said in opening the debate upon all the five Motions all that I propose to say in regard to these two, and it will probably be a convenient course that I should to-day, in the first place, call the Amendments which are on the Order Paper; and then, if your Lordships have any general observations to make upon the substantive Motion, your Lordships will do so and I will do my best to answer any questions that are raised. If that is a convenient course to your Lordships, as I understand that it is, I will formally move the Motion standing in my name, but, before I go further, I will call on the first Amendment which stands in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Milner.
Moved, That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty under section seven of the Emergency Laws (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1947, praying that Defence Regulations specified in the Schedule hereto, which would otherwise expire on the tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and fifty-two, be continued in force for a further period of one year until the tenth day of December, nineteen hundred and fifty-three.