§ LORD H. CECIL (Greenwich)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can promise any opportunity of discussing, either in Committee or on Report, the Vote for reformatory and industrial schools?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI am afraid I am unable to give a promise upon this subject. I had hoped and intended to take Civil Service Supply to-night, but there appears to have been some mistake, as the Army and Navy Estimates are down upon the Paper. I cannot forecast the future course of Supply with sufficient accuracy to be able to inform my noble Friend whether I shall be able or not to give him the opportunity which he desires.
§ VISCOUNT CRANBORNE (Rochester)Will the right honourable Gentleman, bearing in mind the importance of the question of reformatory and industrial schools, give us an opportunity to discuss 707 it on the Appropriation Bill? The discussion need not occupy much time, but we are bound to have one in order to get a reply from the Government to an important deputation which waited on the Home Secretary the other day.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI see no reason why the subject should not be brought forward on the Appropriation Bill. That is a matter which rests with the House and not with the Government. My noble Friend will have his chance like other people.
§ MR. LEGH (Lancashire, Newton)When will the Report stage of the Foreign Office Vote be taken?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI shall put it down for tomorrow.
§ MR. GIBSON BOWLES (King's Lynn)Is Thursday to be allotted to Supply? When will the Colonial Vote be taken?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYThe Colonial Vote cannot be put down as the first Order for to-morrow. I shall put some uncontroversial Bill first, probably the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill.
§ SIR E. GREY (Northumberland, Berwick)Will the Report of the Foreign Office Vote be put down next after the Colonial Vote?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI shall not put down any Bills between Supply and the Report of the Foreign Office Vote; but there probably will be Supply in addition to the West India Vote.
§ MR. A. O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)When does the right honourable Gentleman intend to proceed with the Nonconformist Marriages Bill?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI believe there was a general understanding that that Bill would be taken on Wednesday.
MR. CARVELL WILLIAMSWill the other arrangements for Wednesday remain the same as were announced last week?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI shall certainly take the Local Government (Ireland) Bill on Wednesday. With regard to the Benefices Bill the case stands thus: On Tuesday last I said, in answer to the honourable Member for Carnarvon, that I could not give a pledge as to when the Bill would be taken. I said that at this time of the Session it often proved inconvenient not to take the first opportunity that presented itself to get necessary business through. Then on Wednesday or Thursday last I stated that in all probability the Bill would be taken next Wednesday; but it would probably be a great convenience to take it to-night. If, however, I should find that honourable Members would be greatly disappointed if the Bill were not deferred until Wednesday I will put it off. I repeat, however, that it might be very convenient to consider the Bill to-night.
§ MR. GIBSON BOWLESWill the Report of the Foreign Office Vote be brought on at an early hour to-morrow?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI certainly should not bring it forward after 12 o'clock. I hope the House will recognise that the fact that there remain comparatively few days, I might almost say hours, before the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill, on which I understand the Leader of the Opposition intends to raise the question of foreign affairs, renders it less important to bring forward the Report stage of this Vote for purposes of discussion.