§ 3.8 p.m.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, now that we have exhausted that topic for the moment, perhaps it will be for the convenience of the House if I make a statement on the Business for next week. We have arranged through the usual channels that we should devote Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to the Committee stage of the Transport Bill. That, I hope, will give us ample time, but it will be necessary to ask the House to sit at half-past two each day. I hope, however, that it will not be necessary to keep the House sitting unduly late, if a self-denying ordinance can be exercised over the length of speeches in all quarters of the Committee. I will try to set an example.
No doubt there will be many Amendments which will have to be discussed, and I hope they can be discussed in a reasonable space of time. Therefore, what we have agreed, subject to the approval of the House, is that we will make an attempt, at any rate on Monday and Tuesday, not to sit beyond seven or half-past seven. Then we can see how we get on. If we give ourselves an excessive ration of oratory, I am afraid we may have to sit later on Wednesday and possibly even on Thursday, but I hope we shall be able to avoid that. Also, I am glad to be able to say that, with agreement in all quarters of the House, it has been agreed that we should take the Royal Titles Bill on Wednesday as first order and pass it through all its 943 stages. I thought it would be convenient for the House to have that knowledge before we pass on to the next Business of the Day.
§ LORD LUCAS OF CHILWORTHMy Lords, we are most grateful to the noble Viscount for making that statement. That is quite acceptable to us. But as Amendments to the Transport Bill appear to be coming in in considerable numbers, may I suggest that the usual channels should consider whether or not there will be sufficient time between the Committee stage and the Report stage? I think perhaps that point requires a little re-examination. May I also ask this: am I to assume that the fact that the noble Viscount answered the Question just now is due to an unfortunate and sudden illness of the Secretary of State, Lord Leathers? If so, may I hasten to offer to the Secretary of State not only my personal sympathy but also the sympathy of noble Lords on these Benches at his breakdown, and to wish him a very speedy recovery?
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, I beg to thank the noble Lord very much. I am very much obliged to him for what he has said. I am sorry to say that my noble friend, Lord Leathers, is far from well. Nobody regrets it more than I do, for every reason. I am afraid he will not be able, as at present advised, to take part in the further debates upon the Bill, but we will do our best to carry the load for him; the House is always most considerate. As regards the question of time, so far as getting Amendments down is concerned we will do our best. I think practically all our Amendments have been on the Order Paper for some time. The tabling of Amendments from individual Members is, of course, a matter for them, but it would help us all if the Amendments for the Committee stage could be put down as soon as possible. I hope they will all be in to-day—maybe one or two will come in later—so that it may be possible to get out a Marshalled List as soon as possible. I do not know whether any Amendments were sent in yesterday, but there are a substantial number of Amendments: there are the Government Amendments and there will be Opposition Amendments, which I suppose will be in to-day, will they not?
§ EARL JOWITTI hope so.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONIf they are, and if other Amendments come from other quarters, it will be a tremendous help to all noble Lords to have them in a Marshalled List, even if we have to produce another Marshalled List later. Speaking for myself, it is going to be a little difficult to digest a whole heap of Amendments. I have not seen them all, but we will do all we can to be ready. I think we have allowed—we discussed this very fully—ample time between the Committee stage and the Report stage I was going to suggest that we should take the Report stage a little earlier, but, in deference to the wishes of the Leader of the Opposition, I withdrew that suggestion and we have now fixed provisionally that the Report stage shall be on the 18th and 19th of this month. That will give us six days between the Committee and the Report stage, which should be ample.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, the noble Viscount has correctly stated the agreement we made yesterday. I certainly do not want to go back on that agreement. It is easy for people who do not know all the circumstances to criticise whatever arrangement we may come to. I think the time is rather short. We are working within rather strict limits. The Minister wants the Bill through by a reasonable date and the tradition of this House is that we always help each other. That I have tried to do in this case. It is possible there may be some small adjustment and, if there is, the noble Viscount will be the first to give it to us. We, for our part, will help the Minister. I adhere to the date which we agreed upon and we will do all we can so that the time shall be usefully employed. We will try to get all our Amendments down so that they can be discussed and considered.
§ VISCOUNT SWINTONMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble and learned Earl. It is characteristic of the way in which he leads the Opposition. Not only are we working against time in regard to this Bill, but we shall have the happy event of the Coronation, when Parliament will rise for a considerable time. Although I shall do all I can, for my part, as we go through the Committee stage, a certain amount of work, no doubt, will have to be left over to Report. But, on the Government side, we will do our best, as our discussion goes forward, 945 to put down in good time those Amendments for Report stage which we find necessary. That will give us more chance of considering them than if we see them only at the last moment on the morning before we start our discussions. I want to get the Amendments down at least a couple of days before we have to work on them.