§ MR. GREENE (Shrewsbury)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Her Majesty's Government will publicly notify that printed drafts of the fresh Orders in Council or Rules of Court now under consideration for regulating the practice and procedure of the High Court of Justice may be obtained by purchase or otherwise, and will specify a reasonable time within which representations and suggestions relating thereto may be made by the Bar Committee, the Incorporated Law Society, Chambers of Commerce, and other societies and bodies appearing to be interested, and will arrange that such representations and suggestions shall be taken into consideration by the authority preparing such Orders and Rules before the same are finally settled 1361 and published or laid before Parliament?
§ MR. ASQUITHThe Government have no power to issue the suggested notification. The recent Report of the Council of Judges was laid on the Table of this House many months ago, and widely published. It was also specially communicated to such of the bodies referred to in the question as were likely to make observations on its contents. The hon. Member is, no doubt, aware that very full discussion by those bodies has taken place, and their views have been communicated to the Statutory Authorities. I am in a position to state that all such communications have been carefully considered; and, as the House is aware, any Rules that may be made have to be laid on the Table 40 days.
§ MR. GREENEMy question was directed to the Rules of Court now under consideration, and not to those which have already been laid on the Table.
§ MR. ASQUITHSo far as I am aware, those Rules are only Rules founded on the Report of the Judges.