§ MR. LEAKEasked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether he can inform the House if there is any indisposition on the part of the Heads of Government Departments, when applied to, to give full and direct information to Members of the House who, in the performance of what they conceive to be their duty, may seek such information; and, whether, if there be no such indisposition on their part, he will recommend his Colleagues to discountenance the consumption of public time in putting questions on local, personal, and trivial matters, during the Sitting of the House by declining to answer them, and trusting to the sense of the House to support them in their action?
MR. GLADSTONEThe permanent Heads of Departments, I can assure my hon. Friend—and the experience of Members generally will confirm me—are very much disposed to give information to Members who seek for it in the prosecution of what they deem to be their public duty; and undoubtedly, as far as the political Heads of Departments are concerned, they have every 57 disposition to encourage that method of action, which, it is evident, if it were more largely followed—it is often followed, but if it were more largely followed it would very considerably save the time of the House and increase its opportunities for the transaction of Public Business. Beyond saying that I will not go, because I think it would be too strong a measure on the part of Members of the Government to decline to answer Questions on the ground that such refusal was the most convenient course.