§ *SIR FRANCIS POWELL (Wigan)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether his attention has been directed to the Special Report of the Chairman's Panel relating to the working of Standing Committees; and whether he proposes, by amendment of the Standing Orders, to make such provision as will remedy the inconveniences incident to the working of the Standing Order now in force.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have read the Report to which my hon. friend calls attention, and I must say that, so far as I am able to judge, the existing system of Grand Committees will require modification in the very near future. I do not think anybody can read that Report, drawn up as it is by those best qualified to judge, of the working of the present system and regard the system as satisfactory. It would, however, be premature for me to suggest what course ought to be taken in the contingency to which my hon. friend refers.
§ SIR WTLLIAM TOMLINSON (Preston)Will the right hon. Gentleman consider whether a Government Bill ought not to have precedence over Bills of private Members?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI will not discuss the question of precedence; but it is the fact that when a Government Bill is sent by the House to a Grand Committee it ought to be able to find a Grand Committee which could immediately deal with it.
§ MR. FLYNN (Cork, N.)Is it not a fact that many Bills before the Grand Committee have been mauled by members of the Government themselves?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI think it quite possible that they ought to have been mauled.