§ MR. R. T. REID (Dumfries)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the annually increasing curtailment of private Members' opportunities for proposing Bills or Motions, the great arrears of Business, and the increasing proportion of time occupied by Bills in Committee of the Whole House, the Government will consider the propriety of moving next Session that the 1387 Committee stage of all Bills shall be remitted to Grand Committees?
§ MR. W. E. GLADSTONEIn answer to my hon. and learned Friend, I am afraid I must admit that the difficulties to to which he refers are not diminishing, but increasing. Whether that increase at the present time is due in any degree to special causes, or whether it is an indication of what I think to be an undoubted fact—namely, the growing business of the Empire and the consequent calls on the strength and time of Members of this House—my hon. Friend will not be surprised when I say that, viewing the nature of these calls, I think it is not yet possible to give any positive answer to this question; but I think it is quite obvious that on prudential grounds we must contemplate the development, as far as possible, of the institution of Grand Committees for facilitating the Business of the House.