HC Deb 27 April 1903 vol 121 cc480-1
SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury when he proposes to make further progress with the financial business, and what Supply will be taken on Thursday. May I add that there is a feeling—not I think an unreasonable one—that it would be very desirable to put down the Foreign Office Vote for that day, to elicit some explanation of the position of affairs in Somaliland. When that point has been discussed the Vote can be withdrawn and renewed at a later period of the session.

SIR CHARLES DILKE

asked whether the Foreign Office had not handed over temporarily the control of the war operations in Somaliland to the War Office.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

The desire of the House to have some discussion on events in Somaliland is a very natural and proper one. I was only informed of it when I came down to the House to-day and I have not yet had time to decide which Vote will give the House the amplest opportunity for such a discussion. There is in the Foreign Office Vote a sum for the civil administration of Somaliland, and, I believe, also a sum for the ordinary military operations, but it is true that the conduct of the actual military operations, and the expenditure in connection with them, is in charge of the War Office, and not the Foreign Office. I will endeavour to put down a Vote in the form most convenient to the House, and perhaps the Post Office Vote may be put down as the second Vote. With regard to financial business, I hope there will be no difficulty in taking the Second Reading of the Irish Land Bill on Monday next, and the Budget proposals can be continued afterwards. If there is any difficulty in proceeding with the Land Bill on Monday, I shall propose to take the Budget proposals on that day.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

asked on what date it was proposed to take the Resolutions relating to the Sugar Convention.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I must not be taken to assent to the proposition implied in this Question that any Resolution will be required; but, in any case, we must get the Second Reading of the Irish Land Bill before that matter is taken up, and also the Resolution connected with the Transvaal loan.