§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, may I ask a question on Business? I should like to draw the attention of the Government to the draft Statutory Instrument No. 1130 which apparently was made on July 23, laid on July 27, and came into our hands only to-day. This is not exactly a new Government policy, because it had been announced—but only announced—but it contains a particularly mean economy in children's school milk, in some cases reducing the amount of milk by one half. The Order, which is subject to the consideration of Parliament by the moving of a Prayer, cannot be prayed against until October 23 or later, but I see from the Order that it is to come into operation on September 1. I think that that is completely unreasonable. A Statutory 522 Order of this kind, with such a serious social effect as this may possibly have, is being brought into operation on September 1, and yet it is being introduced at such a time that we cannot move in Parliament to pray against it before it comes into operation. I am not asking the Government to withdraw their intention in regard to the policy which the Statutory Order carries out, but I would ask them to suspend the date of its operation until both Houses of Parliament have had a chance to consider and pray against the Order, as they have the right to do under the Statute.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)My Lords, I shall have to make some inquiries about this matter, because the noble Viscount did not give me notice that he was going to raise it. As he says this Statutory Instrument is subject to the procedure of Prayer when we return. The time laid down is within forty days, excluding Recesses of Parliament, so the Order could be prayed against. However, I note the noble Viscount's request, and perhaps I shall be able to say something to-morrow, though I will not hold out any hope that we shall be able to alter the date.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I apologise for having to raise this matter at short notice, but that was due to the lateness of the Order coming into our hands. I will ask my noble friend, our Deputy Leader, to wait upon the noble Earl the Deputy Leader of the House to-morrow about this matter, and perhaps some further inquiries can be made. I beg that these mean economies at the expense of the school children should not be introduced until Parliament has had an opportunity of saying what it thinks about the Order.
§ LORD SILKINMy Lords, I want to add this point. It would be very embarrassing if this Order came into operation on September 1 and then we prayed against it some time towards the end of October. It would be an unrealistic discussion, because, obviously, once the Order had come into operation, it would be very difficult for the Government to withdraw it. Therefore, the opportunity we have for objecting to it would be quite illusory. The noble Earl appreciates that, 523 but for the Recess, we could have prayed against the Order before the date of its coming into operation.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, I have taken the noble Lord's point, but I did not want to hold out any possible hope about the alteration of date until I had made some inquiries.