HC Deb 17 February 1896 vol 37 cc464-5
SIR ALBERT ROLLIT (Islington, S.)

I bog to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, whether the Government will make, and be willing to support, a Motion for a Select Committee to consider the expediency of amending the forms, procedure, and practice of the House and its Committees (including Committee of Supply), with a view to the better and more speedy and convenient dispatch of the Public and Private Bill business of the House?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.

I am not disposed at the present moment to think that much will be gained by appointing a Committee on the business of the House. It is one of the subjects upon which the House is fully seized of all the facts, and I do not know that the positive suggestions of Committees heave been very useful in the past. ["Hear, hear!"] Committees have sat in 1837, 1848, 1855, 1861, 1869, 1871, 1878, 1886, 1888, 1889, and 1890. There is an enormous mass of information stored away in Blue-books, to which I do not think there would be much use in adding. I may say that I think of bringing in, when the Debate on the Address is concluded, a Resolution dealing with the question of Supply which, to a certain extent, will meet my hon. Friend's view.