§ MR. CROMBIEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, whether he will refer the Agricultural Rating (Scotland) Bill to a Standing Committee, including all the Scottish Members of Parliament?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.As the hon. Member is aware, the practice of the House has always been that, though there may be a Grand Committee on which Scottish opinion is very fully represented, the constitution of that Committee as regards the distribution of the parties ought to be a reflection of the constitution of the House. As regards the particular Bill which the hon. Member desires to refer to a Grand Committee, I will point out that it has been stated by Gentlemen on the Front Bench opposite, for reasons I do not fully comprehend, to be a Measure of a highly controversial character, and in these circumstances, I think, it would be improper to send it to a Grand Committee?