It is proposed to take the business as on the Order Paper. Item 4, Conditions of Employment Bill, 1935; item 5, Expiring Laws Bill; item 6, Labourers Bill, and item 7, Courts of Justice Bill, inclusive. Public business will be interrupted at 9 o'clock to take Private Deputies' Business.
Order of Business.
When is it proposed to circulate the Insurance Bill, 1935, item No. 9, on the Order Paper?
To-morrow.
In view of the fact that we are not sitting on Fridays, is the Minister for Justice in a position to say when the Government proposes to ask the House to adjourn for the Christmas recess or whether in order to adjourn earlier he will arrange to have Friday sittings in future?
I do not know that it would expedite the Christmas adjournment very much to sit on Fridays, but if the Deputy will repeat that question next week I may be able to give him a definite reply.
Perhaps the Minister will remember that I asked a similar question last week and the courteous Vice-President asked me to repeat it this week. I am now asked by the Minister for Justice to repeat it next week, and if I repeat it next week I may probably be told by the courteous Minister for Justice to repeat it the following week.
If the Deputy inquiries from the Whips of his own Party he will know that there is a regular procedure for dealing with these matters.
Why have Friday sittings been abandoned?
Will the Minister for Industry and Commerce say why it is that while this Insurance Bill was circulated more than a week ago to interested parties copies of the Bill had not been supplied to Deputies beforehand?
The Deputy's information on that matter may not be correct.
I dare to say that the Deputy's information is correct. I have seen one of these copies myself. I was not supposed to see it, but it was circulated to parties outside the House.
The Deputy has not seen the Bill.
Yes, on a piece of white paper.
The Bills are circulated on green paper.
It is a scandalous thing and a gross disrespect to the House to circulate an instrument of this sort to parties outside the House before Deputies have seen it.
That Bill has not been circulated as yet to anybody.
It has been circulated to at least half-a-dozen parties.
The Deputy is quite wrong. The Bill has not been circulated. What he refers to is a different document.
A Bill has been circulated. Is that the Bill that is to be circulated to Deputies to-morrow?
Wait and see. The Bill has not been circulated.
It was circulated to England. What Bill did the Minister circulate to the insurance companies then?
That has nothing to do with the Deputy.
The Minister has circulated a Bill to interested parties.
I am entitled to consult anyone I like.
The Minister introduced a measure here more than a week ago and it is put down for Second Reading. He has had that Bill circulated to his British friends.
The Deputy has stated, as usual, something that is mean, malicious and untrue.
In view of the Minister's statement that the Bill will be circulated to-morrow, is it the intention to push the Bill through the House before Christmas?
I do not propose to express any opinion on that matter at this stage.
The Minister has to make up his mind about it yet.
I would find that a lot easier than the Deputy.
The Minister pretends to be at war with them, but he circulates amongst his friends his special secrets.