§ MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in connection with the Fiscal Inquiry, the statistical departments of the Board of Trade or the Customs House have been required to furnish any Returns this year different from and in excess of those usually supplied and published; and whether the Government can place the forms of any such Returns on the Order Paper of the House of Commons.
§ SIR CHARLES M'LARENI beg also to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in the inquiry which is being conducted as to our fiscal relations with the colonies and foreign countries, any advice or information is being required from the Treasury, or whether the figures which have been asked for are being prepared entirely by the Board of Trade.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt would be desirable for the House to see the Returns which are in course of preparation. I have not the slightest doubt that there will be valuable suggestions made to supplement these Returns, and I think it will be desirable to wait until they are put into the hands of Members before any further suggestions are made.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)Will they be in the 1159 hands of Members any considerable time before the end of this session; otherwise, what opportunity shall we have of obtaining this additional information?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURHon. Members will retain the power of reading, thinking, and inwardly digesting, even when the House is up.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANBut not of asking and getting.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI am quite ready to consider any suggestions that are made, whether the House is sitting or not.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not think that is very desirable.
§ SIR CHARLES M'LARENThe right hon. Gentleman has not answered my Question.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not see that at this stage of the proceedings anybody is concerned as to the particular methods by which any figures we may be able to lay before the House are being collected. If they prove to be insufficient or unsatisfactory, we shall be glad to supplement them. We are doing our best to make the information we are supplying satisfactory.
§ SIR CHARLES M'LARENWill the right hon. Gentleman lay on the Table the exact terms of reference to the Departments?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURNo, Sir; the hon. Gentleman is most unreasonable. Perhaps he is not alone in that. Why should a Cabinet inquiry of this kind be conducted on formal lines which are quite appropriate to a Royal Commission or a Committee of this House, but which would be most inappropriate and inconvenient with regard to an investigation such as we are conducting?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANIs not the reply to the right hon. Gentleman this—that the inquiry is being conducted, not for the benefit of the 1160 Cabinet, but for the benefit of the whole country?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURYes, Sir, I trust the whole country will benefit by the inquiry; but in the meanwhile it is an inquiry by the Cabinet for the Cabinet.