§ MR. JOHN ELLIS (Notts, Rushcliffe)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can now state on what day the proposal as to financial aid to the Egyptian Government for the further military expedition into the Soudan will be brought before the House?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.On the question of the honourable Gentleman I propose to make a statement about business and about the changes which will be necessitated, I regret to say, by the indisposition of my right honourable Friend the Chief Secretary for Ireland. There seems to be no prospect of my right honourable Friend being back in the House and able to resume his duties before Thursday next, and, in those cicumstances, I am afraid it will be impossible to proceed, as we had hoped, with the Irish Local Government Bill next Tuesday. In these circumstances I think it would probably be greatly to the convenience of Irish Members if, instead of beginning, or attempting to begin on Thursday of next week, we should put off all the Irish arrangements for one week, taking the Irish financial resolution not on Monday next, but on Monday week, and proceeding immediately afterwards with the discussion of the Report stage of the Irish Local Government Bill. I have taken all the pains I could to find out whether that arrangement would be convenient to honourable Gentlemen from Ireland, and 1242 I think that arrangement is one which will suit them best. This will leave next week free for other business, and I propose on Monday to take the Committee stage of the Indian Loan Bill, which ought to pass into law without further delay, and also the Egyptian proposals of my right honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. On Tuesday I should propose to take the Third Reading of the Benefices Bill. I cannot as yet state what the business on Wednesday and Thursday will be, but on Friday I shall have to change the Supply, which was to have been Irish, and I propose to take the Scotch Estimates on that day.
§ SIR H. H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)May I ask the right honourable Gentleman whether in his arrangement of Supply for the rest of the Session he would take care to allow ample time for the discussion of details of administration by the Home Office, Local Government Board, and the Board of Trade?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYThe Home Office Vote has, I think, been under discussion.
§ SIR H. H. FOWLERThere are several more matters for discussion, and so also with the Local Government Board Vote.
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI will bear that in mind.