§ DR. MACNAMARAI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can now state when the House will be given the opportunity to discuss the Report of the Public Accounts Committee of July, 1904, and of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of January, 1905.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (MR. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.I do not think it would be desirable to add to the subjects to be discussed on the evening I have given to the Public Accounts Committee. The Auditor-General's Report which the hon. Gentleman wants to discuss is still under the discussion of the Public Accounts Committee, and I do not think it would be in accordance with precedent that we should, while a Committee of this House is by Order of the House discussing a subject, bring it down for discussion here.
§ DR. MACNAMARAI would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he seriously 568 considers that three hours is anything like sufficient to enable the House adequately to discuss the many matters raised in the Report of the Public Accounts Committee?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have to make two observations on that. One is that the House of Commons has never had any opportunity before, under the universal practice of the House, of discussing this Report. The other is that if the difficulty which the hon. Gentleman feels in dealing with the whole subject is so great it will surely be greater if he adds to it.
§ DR. MACNAMARAI ask for another occasion.