§ LORD WINDLESHAMMy Lords, with the leave of the House I will repeat a Statement made in another place by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary in connection with the Proclamation which I have just read to your Lordships. The Statement is as follows:
"Under the provisions of the Emergency Powers Act 1920 the Proclamation made on January 9 will expire at midnight to-morrow, together with the Regulations made in pursuance of that Proclamation. Since there has been no resolution of the disputes affecting the coal mines and the railways and there is still a short-fall in our oil supplies, the Government consider that it is necessary for the State of Emergency to be continued. A further Proclamation and Emergency Regulations have therefore been made by the Counsellors of State acting on Her Majesty's behalf during Her absence from the United Kingdom. The Regulations—the Emergency (No. 2) Regulations 1974—are in substance the same as those laid before Parliament on 9th January and will come into force at midnight to-morrow. They will be laid before Parliament later to-day and copies will be available to Members in the Vote Office as soon as possible.
"As always, use of the emergency powers will be limited to measures necessary in the public interest."