§ MR. HOBHOUSE (Somerset, E)asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, in view of the prospects of legislation by private Members having been so much curtailed by the New Rules of Debate, the Government would be disposed to consider favourably any proposal for enabling Bills which have passed a Second Reading or later stage in one Session to be taken up at the same stage in the next Session. He wished further to ask whether the practice was not adopted by eight Foreign Parliaments?
§ THE FIRST LORD (Mr. W. H. SMITH) (Strand, Westminster), in reply, said, he was not prepared to say whether such a Rule prevailed in eight Foreign Parliaments, not having had Notice of the Question. With regard to the rest of the Question, his impression was that the New Rules would not in any way curtail the privileges of private Members, but that they would tend to facilitate the progress of those measures which Members brought before the House. Under those circumstances, he did not think it desirable, at the present time at all events, to propose any change in the Parliamentary procedure with regard to Bills before the House, with the view to their being taken up in the ensuing Session at the point at which they were dropped.