§ 3.20 p.m.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, it may be for the convenience of the House if I announce now how we propose to conduct business next week. The Committee stage of the Industrial Relations Bill will be continued on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Noble Lords will see that other items of business are also on the Order Paper on those days. It is intended that at a convenient moment around 7 o'clock we should adjourn the Committee stage of the Industrial Relations Bill in order that these smaller items of business can be taken. This will allow those noble Lords who take leading parts in the Industrial Relations Bill to have a short respite—and even some dinner. I hope that your Lordships will think that these arrangements are convenient.
I am also happy to be able to inform your Lordships that as from to-day, if any noble Lord should be visiting another place, if there is a Division in this House it will be shown on the closed circuit television in the House of Commons.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, we congratulate the Chief Whip on arranging that these Divisions should be shown on the enunciator. I think that this is a welcome arrangement reciprocating what we do for the other place. We are grateful for his consideration of the need for those who work so hard on the Industrial Relations Bill to have a short respite; but I must say that I find this arrangement slightly ominous, because at least some of the measures which they are slipping in—the Scottish Education Bill, for instance—are of a contentious nature. If the Government are to insist on running the Industrial Relations Bill and the ordinary legislative programme at the same time, they are not contributing to the speed-up that they apparently want on the Industrial Relations Bill.
Furthermore, I must point out that if people have a break they return refreshed and strong for a fight. The Government will want to study the progress that we make to-day—and Clause 1 is the very heart of the Bill and is a major area for debate—but we shall want to know what the intentions are with regard to the hours that we keep. But if there is much in 1296 serted into the time allotted for the Industrial Relations Bill then we are bound to protest if the Government press us too hard in our consideration of this Bill.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, I am surprised that the noble Lord should not wish his colleagues to be refreshed and restored for the fight at any time: but I will take careful note of this for the 'future. I can assure noble Lords that I do not intend that these interruptions should be for too long a period. If the discussion on any particular Bill is going on too long we shall have to adjourn it and take it at some other time.
§ LORD STONHAMMy Lords, does the noble Earl mean that when on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week we are considering the Industrial Relations Bill and adjourn, we shall in any case resume the Committee stage on that day?
§ LORD PLATTMy Lords, would the noble Earl consider whether breaking at 6.30 p.m. would be more appropriate, the time for supper being 7 o'clock? Some of us are interested in the debates on one or two of the other Bills, and there may well be a discussion for about an hour and a half ending exactly at supper time so that we should get no refreshment whatever. If the break were staggered so that it started at 6.30 or 7 o'clock, then those who were bored with the Industrial Relations Bill could slip out and return before the other Bills were discussed.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, dinners at the moment are arranged for 7 o'clock. They will go on for some time, and I should have thought that those taking the most active part in the Industrial Relations Bill are unlikely to want to eat much before 7 o'clock. I think it would be for the general convenience of the House to adjourn at 7 o'clock for a reasonable period and that this should be satisfactory to most people.
§ LORD DIAMONDMy Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for his compassion, which I appreciate, may I ask whether his reference to a "short interval" is a reference to a one-course, two-course, or three-course plus coffee interval?
§ LORD PLATTMy Lords, I am not suggesting that supper should be at 6.30. I am suggesting that we adjourn the proceedings on the Industrial Relations Bill at 6.30 and start the other business. When we have finished the other business there may still be some supper left.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, I do not want to prolong this discussion, but since the noble Earl is not revealing his intentions to the House as to the hours we sit, is he also making arrangements for breakfast?
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, I think that perhaps it would be better if we were to see what progress we make and then consider these things thereafter. I am sure the House will appreciate that although the odds are that we shall have to sit very late on some occasions, the staff of the Refreshment Department is very limited. To produce dinners for large numbers of your Lordships. and then he expected to produce breakfasts as well may prove beyond its capacity.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, the noble Earl has shown sympathy for us and we are well aware that the Refreshment Department serve us very well. I only say that if we are going to sit very late he must be prepared to make other arrangements, even if he has to call in outside help.