§ SIR WALTER THORBURN (Peebles and Selkirk)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, whether, in the interests of the adequate discussion of the Votes in Supply, he will appoint a Committee of the House to consider and report upon the appropriation of a specified time for each class of Votes, with the view of securing reasonable discussion for the most important Votes during the period allotted for Supply.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am greatly in favour, as my hon. friend is aware, of a proposal which would lead to a Committee of this House being appointed for the allocation of the successive Votes in the business of Supply. I think my hon. friend proposes to go rather further than that, and to entrust to this Committee the determination of the exact length of time which each discussion should occupy. I see much greater difficulty in that proposal than in my more modest suggestion.
§ SIR E. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTWill the Committee be moved at an early date?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURVery probably.