HC Deb 19 February 1897 vol 46 cc789-90
MR. PICKERSGILL

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, why the Copy of his Amending Order making regulations under the Agricultural Rates Act, 1896, which was laid upon the Table on the 5th instant, was not issued to Members until the 18th instant, that is three days after the time limited by statute for objecting to the Order; and, who is responsible for this circumstance?

MR. T. W. RUSSELL

The Order in question was laid upon the Table in accordance with the statutory requirement, and the House ordered that it should be printed. Whilst it is to be regretted that copies of the Order were not in the hands of Members at an earlier date, the Local Government Board is in no way responsible for the carrying out of the order of the House as regards the printing of Parliamentary Papers.

MR. PICKERSGILL

made an appeal to the Speaker. The Agricultural Rates Act of last Session gave to either House the right of objection within ten days. On this occasion the Order was laid on the Table on the 5th instant, but it was not available for Members until the 18th, or three days after the time limited by statute had run out. He had made inquiries and had found that the manuscript of the Order was forwarded to the Stationery Office on the 5th, but it was not marked urgent, nor was any intimation given that it was desirable that the Paper should forthwith be in the hands of Members; it appeared to have been left to take its chance, with the result he had stated. He respectfully asked the Speaker—as this was the second occasion upon which this had happened—whether some steps could be taken to secure that an Order of this kind should be in the hands of Members in reasonable time to prevent in future a provision deliberately inserted in an Act being rendered futile as in this case.

MR. SPEAKER

In the point raised by the hon. Member it is obvious there is an hardship upon Members, but I cannot say there is any question of Order for mo to decide. It is a question whether in laying the Papers on the Table of the House the statute was complied with, and that is hardly a question I can deal with.