§ 11.18 p.m.
§ LORD CHAMPIONMy Lords, I beg leave to ask a Question of which I have given Her Majesty's Government Private Notice. The Question is as follows: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any statement to make on yesterday's rail accident on the Western Region?
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, with the leave of the House, my noble friend Lady Young will answer this Question at a convenient moment after 3.30 p.m. This will be followed by a Statement by my noble friend Lady Tweedsmuir of 465 Belhelvie on the recent meeting of the E.E.C. Council of Ministers.
§ LORD SHACKLETONMy Lords, if the House is not sitting after 3.30 p.m. I suppose the Statement will go into Hansard—or are the Government telling us that we shall definitely be sitting until our usual late hour?
EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, the noble Lord is no doubt just as good as, if not better than, myself at estimating the time that your Lordships will take on any particular subject. We have a number of important subjects on which people feel quite strongly and it seems to me to be not unreasonable to assume that the House will be sitting at 3.30. Perhaps I can console the noble Lord; if the House should have completed its business before that time, I will move that it adjourn during pleasure so that the Statements can be made.