EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, subject to the progress of business, it is intended that the House should rise for the Christmas Recess on Thursday, December 17, and return on Tuesday January 12.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, it is usual, I think, for the Government to communicate, through the usual channels, proposals with regard to Recesses. My recollection is that the Opposition were always informed about these matters. This announcement has come rather as a surprise to me, and I think that a number of noble Lords will be surprised that we are coming back as early as January 12. I do not know whether my noble friend Lord Beswick is aware of this. It may be that the communication is wrong on my side; may be that the Liberals knew about it. But it will be a very short Recess.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, if there has been any slip-up here, I apologise to noble Lords opposite. As regards the length of the Recess, your Lordships will remember that in 1963, when we had an equally long Summer Recess, we had an equally short Christmas Recess. It is (shall I say?) not entirely without precedent.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, the fact that there is an undesirable precedent is no reason for repeating it. I will not make any more comment now, but I suspect that a number of noble Lords are thinking hard about that middle week in January, when they may have proposed to do something else. This is a part-time House, and although we are all in favour of working hard, I am just wondering what the Government have in store for us.