§ *MR. BLACK (Banffshire)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government has determined to give the public the whole facts, statistics, and information collected by His Majesty's Ministers with regard to the inquiry now being undertaken by them.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI cannot give the pledge the hon. Gentleman desires.
§ *MR. BLACKMay I ask whether any information that is published will be selected independently, of whether or not it supports the divergent views of—
§ MR. SPEAKEROrder, order!
§ *MR. BLACKMy Question has no been answered.
§ MR. SPEAKERThe right hon. Gentleman has answered, though, perhaps, not to the hon. Member's satisfaction.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSON (Cornwall Camborne)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government can arrange to take the evidence of representatives of the great co-operative societies in the fiscal inquiry which is now being carried on.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURAny observations that representatives of co-operative societies may furnish to His Majesty's Government will be most carefully considered.
§ MR. THEODORE TAYLOR (Lancashire, Radcliffe)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the proposed inquiry into the fiscal policy of the country will include the question of the desirability of retaliating upon colonial tariff's upon British goods whenever those tariffs are as high or higher than the tariff's levied by foreign countries.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIf any hon. Gentleman desires to make any proposal for retaliatory duties upon colonial tariffs he will have ample opportunity for doing so before any practical steps are taken for carrying out a change in our fiscal policy; but I believe no such proposal will emanate from any Gentleman on this side of the House.
§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, in view of a possible change in the fiscal policy of the country, and the consequent importance of raising, in the United Kingdom, as large food supplies as possible, will he state what steps the Government propose to take in order to secure the cultivation of a larger area of land.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not see quite clearly the connection between the fiscal inquiry and steps to secure larger cultivation of land.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will explain?
§ MR. WEIRwas understood to say that he did not refer to the general fiscal inquiry which was to be held.
§ [No answer was returned.]
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACH (Bristol, W.)I rise to ask my right hon. friend the First Lord of the Treasury a Question on the business of the House, of which I have given him private notice—whether before the close of the session he will afford an opportunity for the full discussion in this House of the changes proposed by the Colonial Secretary in the fiscal policy of the country, in order that this House may aid the country in that inquiry and discussion to which it has been invited by His Majesty's Ministers, and whether he will do this by granting facilities to my right hon. friend the Member for East Somerset (Mr. H. Hobhouse) to bring forward the Motion which he has placed on the Paper. Perhaps I may, in explanation of the reasons for my Question, remind my right hon. friend that the discussion of this most important subject was precluded by our rules on the Finance Bill, and that Motions for adjournment cannot be held to afford an adequate occasion for the discussion of a matter of this importance.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIn answer to my right hon. friend I have to say that I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by the discussion which he desires to initiate or see initiated—a discussion which would be addressed to no particular Motion on which a vote of Aye or No would carry any direct relation to the subject of debate, and which, therefore, apart from the speeches with which the Motion was accompanied, would not be of much guidance or value to the country. As regards the speeches, I may remind my right hon. friend that, though no doubt it is true that observations on this question on the 707 Second Reading of the Budget were to a certain extent, and in some cases, hampered by the rules of debate, no one can say that the subject was not dealt with in the lengthy two days' discussion which we had on that subject; and in addition to that we had a debate upon the rising of the House for the Whitsuntide holidays and a subsequent debate on the Motion for the adjournment of the House. These were all occasions on which hon. Gentlemen had an opportunity, and used the opportunity—[Cries of "No, no"]—and used the opportunity—[Cries of "No"]—for making their opinions heard; and I really do not think anything would be gained by adding another to the abstract discussions we have already had on this subject.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)Are we to understand that the Government do not wish to afford an opportunity to the House for that full discussion—full discussion—of the whole subject to which they were, in express terms, invited by the Colonial Secretary—a subject also which the right hon. Gentleman himself has said has no Party significance; and is the Government of opinion that those absolutely partial and inadequate opportunities to which he refers are all that the House of Commons deserves or will obtain?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURWhat I said was that I did not think that an abstract discussion directed to no specific Motion would have any practical results, it is always in the right hon. Gentleman's power to see that it is directed to a specific Motion, and if he chooses to take steps to that end I will make it my business to second his efforts.
§ MR. HENRY HOBHOUSE (Somersetshire, E.)I should like to ask my right hon. friend whether he means by a specific Motion a Motion which can be construed as a Vote of Censure, and whether he considers that that is a form in which a Motion should be put down by his own supporters who desire a discussion on a subject which he has himself assured us is not to be made a test of Party loyalty.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI never suggested that my right hon. friend should put down a Vote of Censure, nor can I conceive it possible that he could ever contemplate such a course. I made the suggestion to the right hon. Gentleman opposite.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESMay I ask will the right hon. Gentleman give facilities for the discussion of a Motion condemning the imposition of a protective tax on the food of the country?
§ LORD HUGH CECIL (Greenwich)May I ask my right hon. friend what is meant by the invitation to the House "to discuss and inquire" into this subject? We are accepting that invitation.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURPerhaps my noble friend will read out the terms in which the invitation to the House was made?
§ LORD HUGH CECILIt was made on the Motion for the adjournment of the House for the Whitsuntide holidays by the Colonial Secretary in express terms.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI can relieve the mind of the Prime Minister by reading the exact terms of the invitation. The words of the Colonial Secretary were these—
It is because it is of immense importance that I ask the House to join eagerly in the discussion.
§ LORD HUGH CECILMay I now ask for an answer to my Question?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI was waiting until the enthusiasm which the Question has aroused had ceased. As I understand the matter, that was stated on the Motion for the adjournment on the holidays. There have been many days' discussion since then. I see no reason to abandon the views I have already taken as to the proper course of conducting the business of this House during the short remainder of the session.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman on a question not so large as that with which we have been dealing what 709 opportunity he suggests that the House should have, or may have, for discussing the correspondence which has been placed on the Table relating to the fiscal concerns of Canada and Germany?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI do not wish to give an opinion on a point of order, but I should imagine that it would be germane to some of the Votes which we have still to discuss.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONIf we are not to discuss this fiscal matter, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will lay before this House the same information which has been already promised to the House of Lords?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURYes, of course.
§ SIR WILFRID LAWSONWhen?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe two Houses will not be treated differently in this matter.