§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That this House do now adjourn."—(Sir A. Acland-Hood.)
§ MR. RUNCIMAN (Dewsbury)said he wished to draw attention to the order of Questions on the Paper of the House, which had caused great inconvenience to hon. Members during the last fortnightor three weeks. A large number of Questions, of which notice had been given to the Secretary of State for War, had been so placed in the order list of Questions as to shut out an Answer being given to them across the floor of the House, and the Answers were delayed until the following day when they appeared in the Order Paper. That had caused considerable inconvenience more than once when the Army Votes were under discussion. The one Question to which he wished to direct attention was of considerable interest to those hon. Members who were looking forward with apprehension or pleasure, as the case might be, to the statement which was to be made next day by the Secretary of State for War. He begged to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office what had been the total cost of 1310 the barracks built under the Army Corps scheme on Salisbury Plain and in other districts; whether those barracks would be utilised under the present scheme; and, if not, whether building operations had been suspended.
§ *MR. SPEAKERWas this Question on the Paper for to-day?
§ MR. RUNCIMANIt was on the Paper for to-day, but was not reached.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThen it cannot be asked now. The Standing Order provides that the answer will appear in the Order Paper to-morrow.
§ MR. RUNCIMANsaid he would be quite content for the time to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if any arrangement could be made to prevent a repetition of what he had complained of. This was not the first time that such an occurrence had taken place. It would be in the recollection of the House that the same thing had happened last session and the early part of this session, when important Colonial Office Questions were to be discussed. He understood that the order in which Questions were placed on the Paper was arranged very largely for the convenience of Ministers. He did not wish to interfere with that convenience; but if it could be arranged that such Questions as he had referred to could be placed earlier in the list so as to admit of an oral Answer being given across the floor of the House it would be a great convenience to those on that side of the House.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)said that the First Lord of the Treasury 1311 was the very last man in the world to whom he would like to give the disposition of the Questions or their arrangement. He had always understood that Mr. Speaker himself had formerly arranged the order of the Questions at his discretion; and he would be very sorry if that discretion were left to the First Lord of the Treasury from his knowledge of the way in which that right hon. Gentleman had manipulated the rules of the House. [MINISTERIAL cries of "Order"] He recollected very perfectly that during the debates on the new rules it was suggested first of all that the Prime Minister should arrange the list of Questions, but that was met with a storm of opposition Then it was suggested that it should be left to the Clerks at the Table, but that was repudiated; and lastly it was agreed that it should be left in the hands of Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker had intervened many a time to say that the time given to Questions should be economised to the best interests of hon. Members. He recollected Mr. Speaker intervening when Black Rod appeared in the House during Question time, thus encroaching on the rights of hon. Members. Then an arrangement was formally made to suit the convenience of the First Lord of the Treasury, who sailed into the House at the end of Questions and in many cases escaped answering any Questions at all.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)I object to the word "escaped." I like Questions.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLsaid that no priest of the Elysian mysteries ever 1312 better concealed any knowledge that he possessed than the, right hon. Gentleman. With great respect he held that Mr. Speaker, with his usual consideration in reference to safeguarding the privileges of hon. Members, arranged of late that Questions addressed to the First Lord should be put on to the list between the numbers forty and fifty. That often threw back Questions addressed to the Colonial Secretary, who in that way avoided many inconvenient interrogatories. As to the War Secretary, he was perpetually up in the clouds or under a cloud; and the system prevented him answering some of the awkward Questions. The first twenty Questions on the list were frequently of no general interest. Two Questions had been put down starred, with elaborate Answers as to whether the public should be admitted between three and four to Hampton Court, while on the same day the War Secretary was not allowed to answer some Questions on Army contracts. Under the new rules, the First Lord evaded answering Questions. [MINISTERIAL cries of "Order, order!"] Well, the First Lord had provided a very convenient method of escaping answering Questions for himself and his colleagues.
§ *MR. SPEAKERIt now being twelve o'clock, the Motion has lapsed.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLMay I put it again?
§ *MR. SPEAKERThere is no business left on the Paper and the House now stands adjourned.
§ Adjourned at one minute after Twelve o'clock.