§ MR. BLACK (Banffshire)I beg to ask the Secretary for Scotland whether his attention has been called to the fact that no Members of this House sat on the recent Commission of Inquiry held in Scotland under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act; and whether he will take steps, by legislation or otherwise, to insure that so long as there 381 are any Members of this House willing to act on such Commissions, they shall have an opportunity of doing so.
§ * SIR WALTER THORBURN (Peebles and Selkirk)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers the Question may I ask if it is not the fact that Gentlemen on this side of the House were willing to serve on the Commission and only declined when it was found that no Gentleman on the Opposition side would consent to sit in it.
§ * THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY,) ButeshireWith regard to what the hon. Baronet has just said, I do not think that matter came within my cognisance. All I had to know was who was going to act and who was not. I am aware that no Members of this House sat on the recent Commission of Inquiry held in Scotland under the Private Legislation Procedure (Scotland) Act. The Members originally nominated were unable to act and, no other Members of the Parliamentary Panel being available, the necessary quorum was made up from the Extra-Parliamentary Panel. I do not contemplate taking any legislative steps in the sense suggested by the hon. Member.
§ MR. JOHN WILSON (Falkirk Burghs)If the right hon. Gentleman will renew his inquiries he will find that the whole Parliamentary Panel were not asked?