BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. (Hansard, 24 June 1913)

§ Mr. WEDGWOOD
May I repeat my plea that the Government should give us information beforehand as to what Bills 1045 they propose to take? It is of the utmost inconvenience to hon. Members never to know whether or not Bills in which they are interested are to be taken. When there is such a long list of very doubtful Government measures on the Paper it is very inconvenient for those who desire those Bills to be amply and fully discussed. There are twenty-four Bills on the Paper, and they have all been put down again for to-morrow, when they will no doubt be put down again for the next day. Could we not be told what Bills are to be taken on Thursday and what on Friday? It would then be possible to come to terms and arrange how far one should carry on the Debate on the various questions which come before the House. We Members below the Gangway are being treated with considerable discourtesy. We used to know what Bills were coming on, and we were not liable to have measures sprung upon us. A return to that convenient system would be better for the House generally, for the Government, and particularly for Members below the Gangway.

§ Mr. GULLAND
I can assure the hon. Member that no discourtesy was intended. Whenever possible the whole House is informed what will be taken. To-night, as the hon. Member is aware, the position was quite unexpected, and therefore we thought that this little Bill, to which objection could not be taken, might be read a second time. We did our best to let those interested in the Bill know that it would be taken, and that information reached the hon. Member himself, as he has admitted. I will take care that his suggestion is placed before the proper authorities.

§ Mr. MARTIN
Might I ask that no Bill to which Amendments are put down should be taken at eleven o'clock without notice having been given?

§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURST
I am wholly unconvinced by the explanation the hon. Gentleman has given for taking the Scottish Education Bill. He has told us that because at very short notice it was decided that the House should rise early, a Bill which would not otherwise have been reached has been taken. That seems to me the very strongest reason why we should have notice beforehand when a Bill of this character is to be taken. Under ordinary circumstances there would be, at eleven o'clock, a full House, who would have an opportunity of considering whether or not the Bill should be read 1046 without discussion, but because the House is adjourning early, and there are very few Members present, the Bill is jumped upon us. If it had not been for the persuasive eloquence of an hon. Friend of mine who seems to be acquainted with the provisions of the Bill, I should have strongly opposed its passage. The very fact that it is an Education Bill and most of those Ministers interested in educational matters are absent, would be the strongest reason why it should not be passed without some explanation of its provisions. As a matter of fact, I believe the title is a misnomer.

§ Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKER
The Bill has obtained a Second Reading. We are now on the Question that the House do now adjourn.

§ Mr. BATHURST
The Bill has obtained a Second Reading by the kind concession of the hon. Member opposite, who, apparently having some private information, persuaded himself and the House to allow the Bill to pass. I join in the protest which has been made, and submit that the fact that the House decided at a moment's notice to rise early was not a sufficient reason for taking the Second Reading of a Government Bill which would not otherwise have been taken.

§ Mr. KING
I think that the complaint we have just heard is a very unreasonable one. I entirely approve of discussing educational problems, but I think that we English Members ought to allow the Scottish people the Second Reading of a small Bill such as this. I hope the Government will arrange to have the hon. Member opposite (Mr. Bathurst) on the Grand Committee, and that he will be there when the Bill comes up for consideration. As a Member sitting below the Gangway and one often in communication and co-operation with my hon. Friend (Mr. Wedgwood), I desire to say that I have not experienced any discourtesy from the Whips. The position to-night is very curious. We have seen the complete collapse of the Opposition, and that explains everything. Personally, I hope that they will collapse, and, after passing a Bill on Second Reading without opposition, let us off at this hour every night until we adjourn in August.