week beginning 18 October. We then envisage, with the Chief Whip's agreement, a debate on the White Paper immediately after the debate on The Queen's Speech (on or about 11 November) which would be followed by the laying of a State-
ment of Changes in the Rules in early December.
The legal position is that the Statement of Changes would have effect from 1 January but could be disapproved by a resolution of either House passed within 40 days. We can expect such resolutions to be tabled and I would hope the necessary debates could take place in December, though if this proves impossible they might have to take place early in the New
Year.
To meet this timetable we shall need to send the text
of the White Paper to the printers in early September. (The paragraphs in the attached draft will of course be renumbered before that is done.) I shall therefore assume that
colleagues are content unless I hear to the contrary. by the
end of this month.
I am copying this letter to other members of II Committee the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, the Attorney General and Sir Robert Armstrong.