§ 2.13 p.m.
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE (VISCOUNT HAILSHAM)My Lords, with the leave of the House, I propose to make a personal statement. I have been invited to lead the British delegation to a Conference of United States Congressmen and Canadian and British Parliamentarians which has been arranged by the British-American Parliamentary Group and will take place in Bermuda from February 20 to 24.
The purpose and activities of the British-American Parliamentary Group are well known to your Lordships. There is, however, one matter of special interest about this forthcoming Conference which is, I think, worthy of mention. The Conference will be attended not only by Parliamentarians from this country and from the United States, but, for the first time on an occasion of this nature, by delegates from the Canadian Houses of Parliament, led by Mr. Fleming, the Minister of Finance in the Canadian Government. I am sure that your Lordships will share my pleasure in this and my confidence that our discussions will substantially benefit from the presence of Mr. Fleming and his fellow delegates.
The British delegation, which I have been asked to lead, will include, I am glad to say, the right honourable Gentleman, Mr. Gaitskell, the Leader of the 357 Opposition in another place, and my noble friend Lord Dundee. The arrangements for this Conference will involve my absence from your Lordships' House during next week's sittings. If your Lordships will give me this leave of absence, I am sure that I shall take with me the greetings from all quarters of your Lordships' House to the delegates from the United States Congress and from the Canadian Houses of Parliament, and your Lordships' good wishes for the success of our deliberations. My noble friend Lord Mills will be available during the week of my absence.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am sure that the whole House will treat this tradition, if it can be so called, with their usual unanimity, and we hope the Leader of the House will have a very successful conference. Having read a certain Sunday newspaper, I could suggest to him some subjects for discussion, but I will not do so now.
LORD REAMy Lords, may I endorse what the noble Viscount said? Of course, the House will not be itself next week, but it may return to its natural self the week after, I hope.