MR. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether it was still his intention to take the Second Reading of the Education Bill on Monday; and, if so, on what day the Second Reading of the Finance Bill would be taken?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI had hoped the House would have taken the Second Reading of the Finance Bill to-day, but that hope has been disappointed, and I shall now put that Bill down for Monday next, and take the Education Bill on Tuesday.
§ MR. FLYNNWill the Agricultural Rating Bill for Ireland be introduced before the concluding stages of the Rating Bill for England?
§ MR. T. LOUGH (Islington, W.)Can the right hon. Gentleman say why the English Bill is required to be pushed on so quickly, while the Irish and Scotch Bills have not yet been introduced? ["Hear, hear!"]
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI hope all these Bills will pass before the end of the Session, so that the order of their introduction matters nothing to the ratepayers of the three countries who are concerned, but I do not think it would be convenient to mix up the discussion on the English Bill with the discussion on the Scotch and Irish Bills. Therefore it is not probable that we shall be in a position to introduce the Irish Measure as soon as the hon. Member desires.
§ MR. FLYNNThe question of the proportions of the grant largely affects the Irish Bill, and, if in the English Bill the proportion is fixed at 80 per cent., it will be impossible to alter it.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYThere is nothing in this Bill which fixes any proportion.