I readily join in the observations made by the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Mr. Short). I sat with him in the Committee stage of the Bill, and I agree that it was a valuable piece of legislation which he initiated. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for so readily agreeing to the attempted effort to provide facilities for its acceptance. I am sure that the House must have been quite touched by the sympathy which the right hon. Member for South Shields (Mr. Ede) offered to my right hon. Friend. Such expressions of sympathy I am always delighted to see, and it is gratifying to have them at the close of a Parliament.

The Motion appears to me to be one which should commend itself to the House. It is true that my party was the defender of Parliamentary time for private Members, but the right hon. Member for South Shields failed to point out that his Government did not yield very much to our protestations. During the period of office of the Labour Government we were continually pleading for what we never got. We sought it assiduously, but failed to obtain it. Perhaps it can be said that what the Lord gave the Lord is entitled to take away.

Judging from the speeches made by hon. Members opposite during the last two days, it appears that the Opposition is desirous of having a General Election. I am sure that hon. Members opposite would not like to have it lie against them that they hesitated to join the fray. It is for that reason that I hope they will support the Motion. Let us get on not only with the business of the House, but with the business of the General Election.

Paragraph (a) of the Motion says: Government business shall have precedence on Fridays. This is something about which I feel less anxiety than some other hon. Members. I confess that I am very rarely here on Fridays. Owing to a suitable arrangement with an hon. Member opposite, I am usually absent on those days. I can give away what I have never very much enjoyed, and I give it to the Government as a sacrifice, quite willingly.

Paragraph (b) says: any resolution relating to taxation which may be reported from the Committee of Ways and Means may be considered forthwith by the House. I have never wholly followed the circumlocutions of Public Business, but a certain urgency and promptitude is shown by the phrase "may be considered forthwith." That is a mark of a Government of determination. We want no dilly-dally and delay. That part of the Motion should be readily accepted as showing that the Government are altruistic in their consideration of these matters.

Paragraph (c)—with a consistency which is a remarkable characteristic of mine—I find admirable. It says: notices of amendments, new clauses or new schedules to be moved in Committee on any Bill which may be ordered to be brought in on any resolutions of the Committee of Ways and Means relating to taxation may be accepted by the Clerks at the Table before the Bill has been read a second time. It will be of guidance and help to the Clerks at the Table. I hope that the Motion will be accepted. My main reason for hoping that is that I want to get on with the business of the House, the death of which has already been announced—and get on with it with the greatest expedition.

The sacrifice of private Members' time which would be called for would be a burden which we could lightly and logically bear. The problem of Amendments under paragraph (c) will not, with ingenuity, be insuperable. For these reasons I hope that the Motion will have general and prompt acceptance.