Motion made, and Question proposed,That this House do meet on Thursday next at Eleven o'clock, that no Questions be taken after Twelve o'clock, and that at Five o'clock Mr. Speaker do adjourn the House without putting any Question.—[Mr. Selwyn Lloyd.]

I should like to make one or two observations before the Motion is passed. We have just heard from the Minister of Labour one of the most extraordinary statements that I have ever heard in this assembly. Leaving aside the question whether the matter with which he was dealing was academic or not, he seemed to think that controversy was a vice to be avoided, whereas I hold the view that in a democracy it is a virtue to be practised. That is what we are here for. I propose to detain the House for a few moments practising that virtue.

We are asked, in the usual form, to go off for the Easter holidays, leaving——

I hope that I am not doing the hon. Gentleman an injustice. We have not yet got to the Motion for the Easter Adjournment. I think that he may have that in mind, but it did not sound as though he had.

I did not hear you read the words, Mr. Speaker. If I may say so, they were not read with your usual clarity and were read speedily. I was very anxious not to lose an opportunity. I am quite willing to wait until the appropriate Motion comes before us.

I accept the blame. I expect that the place where the hon. Gentleman sits makes it particularly difficult to hear the Chair if there is a vice versa about these things.

Question put and agreed to.