§ MR. J. H. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy Burghs)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he can now state if it is his intention to introduce any legislation this Session dealing with the importation of prison-made goods; and (2) when will the correspondence on the subject be issued?
§ MR. RITCHIEMy right hon. Friend the First Lord of the Treasury will reply to the first paragraph of this Question in answering a similiar Question addressed to him by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Central Sheffield. The reply to the second paragraph is that the correspondence will be issued as soon as possible, but that a definite date cannot yet be fixed.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury when, having regard to the emphatic declarations on the subject of restricting the importation of goods made by foreign convicts and felons by several of Her Majesty's Ministers, he will afford the House facilities for giving legislative effect to its unanimous Resolution of 12th February, 1895, declaring that it was the duty of the Government "at once" to take steps in the matter?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYThe Government are anxious that this question should be dealt with, and I hope my hon. Friend may be able to find an opportunity for bringing forward this Bill, which has been read a first time. If he fails, then we must consider, at a later period of the Session, what we can do in the matter, having regard to the amount of time at our disposal, and the claims upon that time.
§ SIR HOWARD VINCENTasked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that he had drawn the 380th place in the ballot, and that there was, therefore, no possible chance of bringing his Bill forward in the ordinary way.
§ MR. DALZIELasked whether the right hon. Gentleman would take into consideration the fact that on a former occasion the Secretary of State for the Colonies declared that there was a scheme ready for the settlement of the question, and whether the right hon. Gentleman spoke on behalf of the present Government.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI think I express an equally ardent desire that this question should be settled.
§ In answer to a further Question.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYsaid, that the matter had been considered by the Government in connection with the report of the Departmental Committee that had dealt with it.