§ DR. MACNAMARAI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can now state when the Bill promised in the King's Speech for the co-ordination and improvement of Primary and Secondary Education will be introduced.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI may take this opportunity to state briefly what will be the course of business between this and the Easter Holidays. The first business on Thursday will be the Consolidated Fund Bill. If the discussion upon that Bill ends early, my right hon. friend may then introduce the Irish Land Purchase Bill. If that Bill is not introduced on Thursday, the alternative will be Tuesday, the day before the House rises. Possibly my right hon. friend would prefer Tuesday, only that day would not be for the convenience of Irish Members. On Friday, the discussion on the Army scheme will be taken. On Monday, I hope to introduce the Education Bill. On Tuesday, the 332 Government will take the Motion for the holidays, and they will probably on that occasion either introduce the Irish Bill or take the Second Reading of the Licensing Bill. For Wednesday, there is a Bill which excites a good deal of interest, and I shall propose that the House rise after the Second Reading debate on that Bill is concluded. The House will rise on the Wednesday afternoon until the Monday week following, and on that Monday I shall, as usual, propose to take Supply.
§ DR. FARQUHARSONWhen is the discussion on the Procedure Rules likely to be resumed?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI hope to resume the Rules on the Tuesday after the House re-assembles.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)Can the right hon. Gentleman say when the Budget will be brought in?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think I can name the day yet.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANWill the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his last arrangement, because I do not think it is usual immediately after holidays to take business so important. There will be nothing lost to the Government if they substitute some other business.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAnxious as I am to meet the wishes of the right hon. Gentleman, I must point out that I was abused last session for having given too long holidays. Now I am asked not to take important business too soon after the holidays, in order that the holidays may be prolonged. I am anxious to facilitate Members in every way possible, but I do not think it would be in-convenient to resume the discussion of the Procedure Rules on the Tuesday.
§ MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)May I appeal to the right hon. Gentleman not to take up serious controversial business until the Thursday. It is an almost universal practice not to do so. I would remind the right hon. Gentleman 333 that the session began a month earlier this year, and it would cause consider able inconvenience to many hon. Members to have to be back here on the Tuesday.
§ MR. TREVELYAN (Yorkshire, W. R., Elland)What Supply will be taken on the Monday?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI will state that before the House separates for the holidays. If the House will guarantee that the very modest legislative programme of the Government will be got through before 12th August, it will alter my proposed arrangements. But, in the circumstances, I think I should be seriously to blame if I called the House back on the Monday and did not proceed with serious business until the end of the week. I imagine the great majority of hon. Members would very much prefer the arrangement I have sketched out.
§ * SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will state in what terms the Army scheme will be submitted for discussion on Friday next.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am not in a position to give the precise terms, but I will communicate them to the right hon. Gentleman and to the House as soon as possible. I hope I may do so tonight before the Adjournment.