HL Deb 17 March 1959 vol 215 cc1-2

2.37 p.m.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS (THE EARL OF HOME)

My Lords, I think the House knows that we are very reluctant, if we can avoid it, to change the Business of the House; but Lord Perth is now able to come back to this country on Sunday, I think it is, and it would seem much more sensible to have the Nyasaland debate when he is here and able to give a first-hand account of his journey and of what be has found. I have therefore had discussions with the noble Viscount the Leader of the Opposition, and with Lord Rea, and I think we are agreed that it would be sensible, if the House is agreeable, to put the Anglo-Egyptian Financial Agreement debate on the Order Paper for this Thursday, and to postpone the Nyasaland debate until Tuesday of next week.

LORD SILKIN

This is not a Motion, but merely an announcement; but I want to say that we feel that the noble Earl the Leader of the House is quite right. It will certainly be a very much better debate if it is held on Tuesday, and we hope that we may receive a more satisfactory reply to the debate than that which we probably would have got on Thursday in the absence of Lord Perth.