§ MR. HENRY HOBHOUSE (Somersetshire, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can state what are the proposals of the Government as to the time at which private business is to be taken for the remainder of this session after the new Rules of Procedure have come into operation; when the Committee on Private Bill Legislation is likely to be appointed; and if the question of the cost of such legislation will be included in the reference to them.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt would be premature to say what decision the House will come to on the new Standing Order proposed by the Government; but the intention of the Standing Order is that private business should take place at other sittings than the afternoon sittings of Mondays. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and the Standing Order is so drawn. As regards the Committee to which my hon. friend refers. I shall ask the House to appoint it as soon as it has assented to the group of Rules on which we are now engaged.
§ MR. HENRY HOBHOUSEThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered the chief part of my Question. Does he mean by "other sittings" the evening or afternoon sittings?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI was very specific in my answer. At present, under the existing Rules, private business may come on on any day of the week, including Wednesday. The Standing Order does not propose to alter the present procedure as regards the Wednesday sitting, because that is now transferred to Friday. The intention of the Rule is that afternoon sittings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday shall not be interfered with by private Bill procedure, and does not affect any other sitting of the House.
§ MR. CHAPLIN (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)We are to understand then that private business is to be relegated either to evening sittings or to the private Members' day on Friday?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am afraid I lack lucidity to-day. I have stated to the House as clearly as I can that the Rule on the Paper protects the four afternoon sittings on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It does not protect any other sitting of the House.
§ MR. BRYCE (Aberdeen, S.)Is it the intention of the Government to make any proposal defining the day on which private business might be taken?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt is in the Rules as printed.
§ MR. HENRY HOBHOUSEWill the right hon. Gentleman answer that part of the Question which refers to the cost of private Bill legislation?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt is surely rather premature to discuss the reference to the Committee until the time has come for the Committee to be appointed; but I shall be very glad to consider the hon. Gentleman's suggestion, or any other suggestion from other parts of the House.
§ The following Question also appeared on the Paper.—
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)To ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that, in consequence of the debates on four separate Amendments standing in his name to the Standing Orders having been adjourned, the consideration therefore remains incomplete of the Standing Order entitled Sittings of the House, of the Standing Order entitled Order in Debate, of the proposed new Standing Order entitled Second and Third Readings, and of the proposed new Standing Order Priority of Business; whether he will state which one of these four adjourned debates will be resumed when the Procedure of the House is next put down on the Paper; and whether he can now say, or, if not, when he expects to be able to say, on what day the debate on Procedure will be resumed. The hon. Member asked the First Lord to answer the Question so far as he had not already done so.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will tell me which part has not been answered.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESWe were told yesterday that, after the Rule then under discussion had been disposed of, the Supply Rule would be proceeded with. That is not in accordance with what is on the Paper.
§ MR. SPEAKERI think the hon. Member must have overlooked the separate Paper.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESThen am I to understand that the Rules will not be taken in the order in which they appear on the Paper?
§ MR. SPEAKERI am not saying in what order the Government wish to take them I only pointed out what the hon. Gentleman had evidently over-looked.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESWill the Leader of the House tell me in what order the Government propose to take the Rules?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWe propose to go on at once with the Rule on the Paper. After that we shall take the Supply Rule. I stated yesterday that I thought it possible hon. Gentlemen might desire more time to consider our proposals as to Questions, and we shall not, therefore, begin that Rule tonight.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will state, with reference to his proposed Amendment to Standing Order 20, relating to Questions, to what person or what authority he proposes to commit the decision between the Questions as to which Questions are and which are not of an urgent character, such as entitles them to be asked after five minutes before three of the clock; and also by whom he proposes that Questions shall be distinguished so as to decide that some are of greater general interest than others, and therefore entitled to priority in their arrangement on the Paper.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt will rest with Mr. Speaker to determine whether any 1460 particular Question will, under the proposed new Rule, come within the definition of urgent Questions such as can be asked after five minutes to three o'clock. Mr. Speaker will also, I apprehend, lay down general principles which will guide the clerks at the Table in the arrangement of Questions on the Paper, so that those of greatest general interest may be reached before that hour. The task is not difficult, and will only have to be performed when more than sixty or sixty-five Questions were on the Paper. So far as the Government are concerned, there is no objection to the appointment of a Committee nominated by the Committee of Selection to perform this duty if the House so desires.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESDo I understand that Mr. Speaker will decide what questions are "urgent" and the clerks at the Table what are "interesting"?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot answer more clearly than I have done.