§ 3.56 p.m.
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Lord Soames)My Lords, following on the Statement made by my noble friend and the questions put to him by a number of your Lordships, it may be for the convenience of the House if I make a Statement on the Government's intentions regarding the Bill on Southern Rhodesia which is being introduced in another place this afternoon.
It is expected that the Commons will complete their consideration of the Bill in time for it to be taken through all its stages in this House on Monday next. In these circumstances, the Public Bill Office will accept amendments to the Bill from tomorrow onwards. Any such amendments should be tabled by reference to the Bill as first printed for the Commons which will be available later today in the Printed Paper Office—in fact, very soon, I hope. Any amendments tabled will then be printed with their correct references and published on Monday at the same time as the Lords print of the Bill.
§ Baroness LLEWELYN-DAVIES of HASTOEMy Lords, the House will be very grateful to the noble Lord the Leader of the House for explaining about the Bill. I ought to say that if the Bill, which is obviously of overwhelming importance, takes an inordinate time on Monday, we might have to ask for an extra hour or two on Tuesday. I thought it fair to mention that. Secondly, we are most 839 grateful for the information about the amendments. May I take it that five o'clock on Friday, the usual deadline for amendments, is the same deadline for this Bill, and that anything after that would be a manuscript amendment?
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, as to the last question asked by the noble Baroness, that is indeed correct. As to her first question, I must say that it is very much the hope of the Government that we shall be able to deal with this Bill on Monday because it is a matter of great urgency and because there is a final moment by which we want to get it. Therefore, I hope very much that it will be possible, in view of the fact that it is an enabling Bill of, I agree, enormous importance, to complete all its stages on Monday.
§ Lord WIGODERMy Lords, whatever the reasons for the delay in bringing forward this enabling Bill, we on these Benches certainly recognise that it is now being brought forward at such a late stage that somewhat more haste in dealing with it is necessary than would really be desirable. We shall certainly not oppose the taking of the various stages of this Bill with more rapidity than is customary. However, could the noble Lord the Leader of the House indicate what procedural steps he will be taking in order to achieve that?
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, we shall put down a Motion to suspend the relevant Standing Order which will enable the House to take the Bill through all its stages on the same day.
§ Lord LEATHERLANDMy Lords, may I ask the Leader of the House to dispel some rumours which have been going around during the last day or two, one of which is that we shall be taking this Bill tomorrow and that we shall be sitting on Friday, although I understand from the Leader of the House that in fact we shall not be sitting on Friday?
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, not if I get my way ! The Bill will be taken through all its stages in this House on Monday. What happens in another place on Thursday, Thursday night or Friday I wot not of, but we shall not be here on Friday.
§ Lord WIGGMy Lords, will the Leader of the House be good enough to 840 inform me, because I have perhaps missed something, whether this enabling Bill will be subject to an affirmative order if it is passed? If that is so and we are not giving a blank cheque, one's attitude towards the Bill will be much more friendly than it otherwise would be, because I do not believe in giving the Tory Party blank cheques.
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, this will enable Orders in Council to be laid; whether some of them or all of them will be affirmative as opposed to negative orders I am afraid I cannot say at this juncture but I will inform myself as soon as may be.
§ Lord ELWYN-JONESMy Lords, surely the Bill itself will take the ordinary course of Second Reading, Committee stage, Report, Third Reading and so on?
§ Lord SOAMESAbsolutely, my Lords.
§ Lord WIGGMy Lords, if there is any doubt on any of these points, will the Leader of the House be good enough to make quite sure, not that the "usual channels" operate but that the House will be informed as to what the procedure will be?
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, the Bill will be published and it will be available in the Printed Paper Office at any moment now. It will go through all its stages. I thought the particular question that the noble Lord, Lord Wigg, was asking me was the same question as the noble and learned Lord, Lord Elwyn-Jones, asked my noble friend the Foreign Secretary—that is, whether all the orders that flow from this enabling Bill will require an affirmative vote or not. My noble friend regretted that he could not give an immediate answer to that and, as he cannot give an immediate answer, I am terribly sorry to say that I cannot either.
§ Lord WIGGMy Lords, if the noble Lord the Leader of the House cannot give an answer, before we pass this enabling Bill we must have an answer and I suggest therefore that we must get the answer not later than tomorrow, because otherwise, so far as I am concerned, I shall oppose this Bill tooth and nail.
§ Lord SOAMESMy Lords, it will be in the Bill.