HC Deb 10 June 1898 vol 58 cc1307-8
MR. KIMBER (Wandsworth)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been directed to the great and continuing increase from year to year of the disparities in the representation of the people in Parliament; whether he is aware that the latest Return shows the extent of the disparity between the highest and lowest number of electors returning a Member to Parliament to be indicated by the figure 1,894 for the lowest and 24,911 for the highest; and whether and when the Government will take the matter of redistribution into consideration?

MR. MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

May I ask whether the right honourable Gentleman is aware that in accordance with the return mentioned in the second paragraph of the Question of the honourable Member for Wandsworth the representation of Dublin University, which returns two Members of Parliament, is only 4,000, while the representation of the English Universities, which return five Members, is only 16,000?

MR. SPEAKER

That is not a regular Question to ask the Government. It is quite obvious that if it were admitted every Member might get up and put a similar Question.

MR. MACNEILL

I am referring, Sir, to the second paragraph of the Question of the honourable Gentleman opposite, which is guilty of a similar irregularity.

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.

In answer to my honourable Friend I have to say that I do not doubt that the anomalies he has pointed out are real and are probably increasing1, and I will add that I think them deserving the vary serious attention of the Government.

MR. KIMBER

Will the right honourable Gentleman notice that I asked "whether and when" the Government will take the matter into consideration?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

I did notice that my honourable Friend asked me "whether and when," and it was with intention that I avoided answering him.

MR. MACNEILL

Does the answer of the right honourable Gentleman apply to University representation as well?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

My answer was a general answer.