§ MR. H. HOBHOUSE (Somerset, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, under the provisions of the Local Government (England and Wales) Bill, a woman may be elected Chairman of a District Council, and thus become ex-officio a County Justice of the Peace; and whether the effect of the same Bill is to deprive the Justices of the Peace, as such, of all their administrative and non-judicial duties?
§ * MR. H. H. FOWLERI venture to submit to the House that the proper time for considering the nature and effect of 192 the provisions of the Local Government Bill is in the Debate on the Second Reading and during the Committee stage of the Bill.
§ MR. H. HOBHOUSEAs this is a point on which considerable confusion is felt in the country, cannot the right hon. Gentleman give a straight answer?
§ MR. H. H. FOWLERI am submitting to the House that we cannot, in question and answer, discuss the provisions of a Bill which cannot be brought before the House for several weeks to come.