HC Deb 20 February 1888 vol 322 cc876-7
MR. T. M. HEALY (Longford, N.)

asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether any large measures involving his personal supervision are now in course of preparation for Ireland; if not, what reason exists why the subjects dealing with Irish administration, brought forward by means of Questions in this House, are no longer answered, as has been the practice since the Union, by the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, but are left to a subordinate official, for whose appointment no legislative sanction exists; and, whether any precedent can be cited for this devolution of responsibility in dealing with Irish subjects?

THE CHIEF SECRETARY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR) (Manchester, E.)

The hon. and learned Member has referred to the practice since the Union. I may remind him of two changes that have occurred since then. One is the gradual, but still recent and enormous, increase in the number of Questions put to the Irish Government; the other is the appointment of a Parliamentary Under Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant. It is in consequence of these changes that a partial alteration has been made in the method of dealing with Questions. I may remind the House that answering Questions is probably of all Parliamentary operations among the least difficult and responsible; for the answers are, as the House is aware, read out from manuscript by the Minister in charge. It is true that occasionally Questions of great nicety, or involving large principles, are asked; and on such occasions the answers are prepared, in the Irish, as in other Departments, after consultation between the Under Secretary and the Chief Secretary. But, for the most part, answers are merely a transcript of information received from Ireland with respect to some local incident, condensed and arranged for the convenience of the House. It is not accurate to say, therefore, that there is any devolution of responsibility. All I have done is to assume that a Question addressed to the Chief Secretary is addressed to the Department of which he is the Head; and have made it a matter of arrangement between the Parliamentary Representatives of that Department who shall answer it. This is, I think, highly conducive to the proper despatch of Public Business, in which the House is primarily interested; and the hon. and learned Gentleman will, I think, himself see the absurdity of leaving it to the Chief Secretary to decide who shall have charge of a Bill, and not at the same time to allow him to settle who shall read out an answer relative to alleged misconduct on the part of a constable. I may add that no Minister in my recollection has answered Questions more to the satisfaction of the House than my right hon. and gallant Friend, and that I am always here in time to deal with Questions put without Notice when such a course seems desirable.

MR. T. M. HEALY

As the right hon. Gentleman is never in the House at Question time, I should like to know from what source he gathers that his right hon. and gallant Friend's answers are to the satisfaction of the House?

MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!