BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE (Hansard, 10 December 1953)

§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (VISCOUNT SWINTON)
My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing on the Order Paper in the name of my noble friend the Leader of the House.

§ LORD HANKEY
My Lords, if I am in order I should like to ask a question about Business. May I ask the noble Viscount how this Motion leaves the question of Egypt? There was a Motion down by my noble friend Lord Rennell concerning the Suez Canal Zone, but I understand that he has now taken the Motion off the Order Paper. Does that mean that there will be no discussion on the Suez Canal Zone until after the Recess? Many of your Lordships are much interested in this question and, I think, had hoped that as this was a large question of policy—changing a policy of very long date—time would have been specially allotted for the discussion of that question. I suppose that it could be raised on the foreign affairs debate, but really what I wanted to know was whether Lord Rennell's Motion has been expunged until after the Recess.

§ VISCOUNT SWINTON
My Lords, I find myself in a little difficulty. The object of the Motion now before the House is to enable Government Business to have precedence over other Business, subject to any arrangement that may be made—that safeguards the particular Motion which the noble Lord, Lord Jeffreys, has down and which will be taken first. Private Members' Motions on the Paper are not within the control of the Government. What I understand happened was that the Motion standing in Lord Rennell's name for Wednesday could not have been reached for a considerable time, because it would have 1174 been reached only after what will in any case be a long debate on an earlier Motion. The noble Lord has therefore taken off his Motion and postponed it to some future date. However, there will be a debate on foreign affairs, beginning on Thursday, on a Motion initiated by the noble Lord, Lord Henderson. That debate will go on all through Thursday's Sitting and will be continued on Friday. Of course, it is open to any noble Lord who wishes to refer to any subject relating to foreign affairs to raise that point during the two days' debate.

§ LORD HANKEY
My Lords, I do not want to open the discussion wider, but the point is that it has been stated in the Press that the Ambassador is going back to Cairo and will immediately start discussions. I think some noble Lords are apprehensive that, if there has not been a full debate, important decisions may be taken at Cairo before the House has had any opportunity of discussing them fully.

§ VISCOUNT SWINTON
There cannot be a more ample opportunity for noble Lords to discuss a matter relating to foreign affairs than in a two days' debate on foreign affairs. There will be ample opportunity for the noble Lord to make a speech in the foreign affairs debate on any subject upon which he wishes to speak. There will be a Government speaker, I think, on the first day, and the noble Marquess the Leader of the House has intimated that he would like to reply to the debate on the Friday.

VISCOUNT ELIBANK
My Lords, for the convenience of those Members of this House who have Starred Questions on the Order Paper, may I ask whether Government Business will come before those Starred Questions, or will the Starred Questions be taken first?

§ VISCOUNT SWINTON
The Starred Questions always come first on the days on which they are permitted. After the Starred Questions, we proceed to the Orders of the Day.