CAB129-52 — Page 46

Committee Stage

Report Stage

House of Commons will adjourn

for the Christmas Recess

Page 46

Thursday, 4th December,

and Monday to Wednesday, 8th to 10th December

Wednesday and Thursday, 17th and 18th December

Thursday, 18th December

But the House of Lords will remain

for Third Reading

Monday, 22nd December

Parliament will reassemble

House of Commons will deal

with Lords amendments

Tuesday, 27th January

Wednesday or Thursday,

28th or 29th January

Friday, 30th January.

46

Parliament will be prorogued

3.

This programme may need modification as the Transport Bill progresses; but I invite my colleagues to approve it as a broad framework within which we should work. Its principal weakness is the shortness of the intervals in both Houses between Committee Stage and Report Stage. If the Bill should be ready earlier than we expect, it could be taken earlier, but I think it would be unwise to assume this for planning purposes or to endeavour to save time for the later stages by reducing the interval between publication and Second Reading which this programme allows. I understand that the arrangement whereby the House of Lords would remain in Session until 22nd December to take the Third Reading of the Bill will be more acceptable to them than one under which they would reassemble a week earlier than the House of Commons after the Christmas

Recess.

4.

To begin the 1953 Session in February will undoubtedly cause some difficulty. I must emphasise that a great deal of the early part of the Session will be devoted to the business of supply and other urgent matters. I therefore recommend that we should aim to begin the Session on 3rd February and not on the 10th February as has been suggested. Excluding Private Members' time, which I assume will be allowed to continue, I estimate that there will be 37 Parliamentary days, including two Fridays, between the 3rd February and Easter (33 if the Session began on 10th February). Six of these may be required for the debate on the Address, and ten for supply; one will be needed for a Defence debate, one for the Easter Adjournment and, allowing four for contingencies, only 15 days will be available for legislation. If the Session began on 10th February, only 11 days would be available for legislation before Easter. Between Easter and Whitsun only 11 days further will be available for legislation. The Whitsun Recess will have to be longer than usual because of the Coronation and, after taking account of the time needed for the Finance Bill and the business of supply, possibly not more than two days will be available for other legislation between Whitsun and the Summer Recess.

Page 46

- 2-**

Page 46

5.