§ 2.50 p.m.
TETE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (THE MARQUESS OF SALIS-BURY)My Lords, before we proceed to the Business of the day perhaps I may say a word about our progress, or what I hope will be our progress, on the Road Traffic Bill. I am afraid that it was necessary to keep your Lordships sitting very late last night, and I am extremely grateful to those who took part in the debate; but we hope that it may not be necessary to do that again. The proposal which I have to put forward, which I understand will be acceptable to all concerned, is that we should sit until seven o'clock this evening, when the debate will be adjourned, and sit again to-morrow until seven o'clock, by which time we hope that the whole of the Committee stage will have been completed. I see no reason why that should not be done. In the unhappy event of our not having finished by seven o'clock to-morrow evening, we may have to sit later; but do no; let us anticipate that.
VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Marquess the Leader of the House for that statement. Unfortunately, I was prevented at the last moment from being here yesterday, bat I am grateful to my colleagues on I his side of the House, and particularly to my noble friend Lord Lucas of Chilworth, for keeping the debate going. I think what the noble Marquess suggests is a good plan, and perhaps we should mark a stage in 331 the remaining Amendments which we ought to reach tonight. We do not want to have to sit very late to-morrow night.
LORD REAMy Lords, I should like to support the proposal that has been made, and I suggest that if by seven o'clock we are getting near to the end of the Committee stage we might well take that time rather elastically.
§ THE MARQUESS OF SALISBURYMy Lords, I suggest that we should not regard seven o'clock to-day as elastic, but seven o'clock to-morrow evening may have to be elastic.