§ 3.5 p.m.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (LORD DILHORNE)My Lords, with the leave of the House, I should like to make a personal statement. In my capacity as Lord Chancellor, I have been invited to lead the United Kingdom Government delegation to the Malawi independence celebrations in Blantyre and Zomba at the beginning of next week. I hope your Lordships will consider that it is right that I should have accepted this invitation and taken the opportunity of representing the Government at the celebrations. This visit will involve my leaving London next Saturday morning, July 4, and, all being well, I hope to be back on the morning of the following Thursday, July 9. This means, therefore, that I shall miss only three sitting days of the House. Accordingly, I ask your Lordships to agree to my being absent from my place on the Woolsack during that time.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, we thank the noble and learned Lord the Lord Chancellor for giving us this notice to the House, and we quite agree.