§ MR. W. E. LAWRENCE (Liverpool, Abercromby)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, having regard to the increased organisation of labour since "The Arbitration Act, 1872," Her Majesty's Government will appoint a Select Committee to inquire how far that Act and its predecessors have succeeded in promoting arbitration in trade disputes; to obtain information, as far as practicable, regarding Councils of Arbitration in Foreign countries; and to report on the propriety, or otherwise, of further legislation being initiated in 1649 support of the principle of arbitration by regularly constituted Boards of conciliation?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. W. H. SMITH, Strand, Westminster)Having regard to the fact that a Conference is about to sit in Berlin on this question, the Government think it would not be expedient to appoint a Committee until they are in possession of the information which will, no doubt, be placed before that Conference, and of the result of that deliberation.