§ 3.21 p.m.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, subject to the progress of business, I hope that the House may rise for the Summer Recess on Thursday, August 5. If progress should be even better than I anticipate, perhaps the House may be able to rise before that date.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, we are grateful to the noble Earl, Lord St. Aldwyn, for making this shocking statement—though it is one at which we are not entirely surprised. We note the delicate bait that if we skimp our work we can get out of school earlier. I do not think I can possibly protest about this announcement, since I know that in the days of the previous Government we kept your Lordships sitting into August, and even later. I suppose the noble Earl is not able to say whether we shall be 1056 sitting alone, or that another place will be suffering at the same time. I understand that no statement on Business has yet been made in another place. This strengthens the argument, which was repeatedly put forward to us when we were in Government, of the need to have a more rational distribution of Bills between the two Houses, a matter to which I know noble Lords on the Government side of the House have devoted great efforts, though they have not always been all that much more successful than we were. But I hope that the Leader of the House will continue the efforts which I know he is making in this direction.
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, the last remarks by the noble Lord. Lord Shackleton, will receive careful attention from my noble friend the Leader of the House. As the noble Lord said, my noble friend is giving this matter very careful consideration. The noble Lord further suggested that I was asking the House to skimp our work. I would not ask the House to skimp its work, but I would ask noble Lords not to waste words.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, are the Government aware that this is the day before Transfiguration?