§ 3.25 p.m.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, I would inform your Lordships that dinners will be available to-night, as on every night when we are considering the Committee stage of the London Government Bill.
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I must regret that the arrangements last night were not very successful when the House sat late. I think that is the sort of thing upon which the Government ought to keep their mind.
EARL ST. ALDWYNThe blame falls fairly and squarely upon my shoulders. I had endeavoured, with the co-operation of noble Lords opposite, to make an estimate of how long the debate would go on and how long would be required to complete the Committee stage on the Weights and Measures Bill. I am afraid that my calculation was in error, for which I must apologise to the House, but I did my best to make what appeared to be a reasonable forecast. I am afraid it went wrong.
§ LORD MORRISON OF LAMBETHMy Lords, if the Government are determined to cause the House to have very late sittings, which will not be our fault—we must do our Parliamentary duty, especially as there was a guillotine in another place; we have our Parliamentary work to do—if the Government are determined to side-step the guillotine and get it another way round by enforcing 859 late sittings, will the Chief Whip inform us whether they are going to provide facilities for breakfast, either the next morning or in the middle of the night; and will he see that sleeping accommodation is provided for those of us who cannot get home at a late hour? This is a perfectly serious request and ought to be given consideration, not only for the convenience of noble Lords on this side of the House, but for noble Lords on the other side too.
EARL ST. ALDWYNI am not aware that it has been definitely agreed, either by the Government or by the House, that we should sit until breakfast time on any particular occasion. It is possible, of course, that that may be necessary, but when it looks like happening I will endeavour to see that there is at least some refreshment for noble Lords opposite. As regards sleeping accommodation, I regret to say I cannot provide him with that, but no doubt if he makes application in the proper quarters every endeavour will be made to meet his requirements.
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, would it not be advisable for the Government to consider this matter again and to make quite sure that if this Bill, or any other Bill, is to be properly considered regard is had for the time which is allotted? Obviously it is going to be a very big task, especially for the Opposition which has quite inadequate representation here in this House. If you are going to drive the remaining few of us here who can stay late at night, then I think something ought to be done about it in regard to the time given to Business. I think it ought to be reconsidered. Perhaps we might open the question again through the usual channels.
§ THE EARL OF SWINTONI wonder whether the noble Earl would consider this—
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHWill he please answer my question first?
EARL ST. ALDWYNAs the noble Earl knows well, there have been various discussions about the programme of this Bill and, as always, it is my endeavour to meet the wishes of the House as a 860 whole and of noble Lords; and that I shall continue to do. But the noble Earl knows that every Government have a programme of Bills which they wish to get through. While having great sympathy with the noble Earl and his not very strong team, I would point out that the Prime Minister has done his best to strengthen the noble Earl's team opposite. They are, shall we say, a great deal stronger than they were. But we must stick to our programme. At the same time, we will, obviously, give every possible consideration to noble Lords opposite.
§ THE EARL OF SWINTONMy Lords, is the noble Earl not aware that when the Labour Party were in office and had very contentious Bills in this House—the Steel Bill, the Transport Bill, the Railway Bill, and so on—by reasonable action on the part of the Opposition and co-operation with the Government it was possible to dispose of many, many hundreds of Amendments to those Bills without asking the House to sit unduly late; and that the Government got their Bills and were good enough to say they were greatly improved by what had been done?
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHI should never forget quite a number of occasions when courtesies were shown in the House on the part of an exceedingly powerful unelected Opposition. But that was not a case of dealing with an unmandated proposal. That was something which was in a programme submitted in 1945 to the electorate. This is an entirely unmandated Bill. You have no authority for it, and twice London electors in both the county and the borough elections have voted against it. Surely we have the right to see that their views are properly represented, weak as we are in numbers as an Opposition.
THE EARL OF ONSLOWMy Lords, might I suggest that, if we ceased to talk about the theoretical provision of breakfast and got on with the Business, we might get home to have breakfast in our homes, which your Lordships would probably agree would be much better than getting it here.
§ EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHThis happens to be a part of the Business.
§ LORD WILLIAMS OF BARNBURGHMy Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether the Parliamentary day in your Lordships' House has been defined? We know the time it starts—2.30 or 3 p.m.—but what is the time when a normal Parliamentary day ends in your Lordships' House?
§ LORD WILLIAMS OF BARNBURGHMy Lords, I am not seeking overtime pay, but at least we are entitled to know what noble Lords representing the Government regard as a Parliamentary day in your Lordships' House.