MR. BECKETT (York, N.R., Whitby)I beg to ask the First Commissioner of Works whether, in view of the House sitting hereafter through the greater part of the winter months, he will consider the desirability of providing some protection from the weather in Palace Yard for Members alighting at or departing from the House; and whether he will instruct an architect to prepare perspective drawings of what might be done, and have them exhibited in the House before the prorogation, so as to admit of the other 669 Members of the House, whose comfort and health may be affected, expressing their opinion with regard to it; and, if he will not do this latter, whether there is any objection to a private Member doing it?
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. PLUNKET,) Dublin UniversityA few years ago we did provide in the Star Chamber Court a shelter for Members alighting at and departing from the House of Commons. I do not know whether my hon. Friend has used this shelter, but I believe the other 669 Members mentioned in my hon. Friend's question do avail themselves of it. I do not myself think that it would be well to risk disfiguring the front of Westminster Hall by erecting any further shelter in Palace Yard; but if my hon. Friend or any other Member desires to have such a perspective drawing as is suggested in the question prepared at his own expense, I do not suppose there would be any objection to its being exhibited in the Tea Room.
§ MR. LEA (Londonderry, S.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if the Standing Order, which gives precedence to private Members' Bills, passed through the greatest number of stages after Whitsuntide, will be altered to suit the new condition of things caused by the earlier meeting of Parliament?
§ * THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH,) Strand, WestminsterI think the proposal of the hon. Member one well worthy of consideration, and I will undertake that it shall be considered.