§ MR. DAVID THOMASI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can state the amount of expenses incurred by local authorities and railway and other companies in promoting and opposing Private Bills before Parliament for each year, from 1892 to 1896, both inclusive, for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales (including Monmouthshire), respectively; and whether, before the Measure named in the Queen's Speech for amending the existing procedure with respect to Scotch Private Bills is submitted to the House, he will give a return (in continuation of Parliamentary Papers, No. 356, of Session 1892, and No. 98, of Session 1893–4)?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY,) Lancashire, S.W.;632 Blackpool The information which the hon. Member asks for is not in my possession. As regards the second paragraph of the Question, I would call his attention to the Return which was moved for by the Lord Advocate last night. The complete Returns for the whole of the United Kingdom would, as I said last year, be very laborious and expensive to prepare; and I have no reason to believe that any material change has taken place since the last Returns were issued to make it necessary.