§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR (City of London)May I ask the Prime Minister what Supply will be taken on the Friday after the House resumes after Whitsuntide, and whether it is still the intention of the Government to put down on the Thursday the Volunteer Vote. I have reason to believe that there is a desire that that Vote should be deferred.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE,) Haddingtonshiresaid he had been informed that there was a desire to discuss the Volunteer Vote later, and the Government were quite willing to meet the convenience of the House. He proposed to put down the Vote for his own salary on the first Thursday after Whitsuntide, and another opportunity of discussing the Volunteer Vote would be found later, probably in July.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid that the Supply on the Thursday would be the Army Estimates—Votes 6 to 12, transport, remounts, ordnance department, armaments, works and buildings; Votes 14, 15, and 16, which were non-effective and Vote 13 (salaries), to be withdrawn after discussion. Then the Home Office Vote would be taken. On the Friday the Civil Service Estimates would be taken, including Class 2, Vote 4, the Colonial Office, Class 2, Vote 2, Colonial Service, and the Vote for the Board of Agriculture.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURHas the right hon. Gentleman formed any idea as to the date on which he proposes to discuss the next instalment of the recommendations of the Committee on Procedure?
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsaid he was anxious to take the discussion as soon as possible; but the Report had not vet been circulated, 99 and, therefore, he thought he had better not say anything on the subject.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOUR,referring to the notice of motion for the suspension of the eleven o'clock rule for the purposes of the Education Bill, which stood on the Paper in the name of the Prime Minister, next asked to what limit of time the right hon. Gentleman proposed the House should sit. He reminded the right hon. Gentleman that, while the re had been a very interesting debate going on for two days with regard to one alternative scheme to the Government's plan which came from below the gangway on the Government side of the House, the alternative scheme of the Opposition had not been discussed. There wore two Amendments on the Paper, one in the name of his right hon. friend the Member for Oxford University and the other in the name of his hon. friend the Member for North Birmingham, which created immense interest outside the House, and he hoped the Government would enable the House to discuss them at a convenient time.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANthought the right hon. Gentleman was not quite accurate when he said the Amendment now before the House came entirely from below the gangway. There was an Amendment to the Amendment which came from very close to the right hon. Gentleman. The proposal before the House did not come from any one part of the House, but had given rise to a general discussion on a matter of infinite importance. He would have thought that matter had been so the roughly discussed that the Committee might come to a decision on the two Amendments before it before what used to be the dinner hour. The Amendments to which the right hon. Gentleman referred could then be discussed afterwards.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid he was, of course, aware that his right hon. friend the Member for West Birmingham had moved an Amendment, but he wished respectfully to press especially that the scheme for facilities had not been, and could not have been, discussed on the Amendments before the House. He would have hoped that the Opposition 100 were not less worthy of consideration, than Gentlemen below the gangway.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANsuggested that the Amendments referred, to were quite as germane, if not more so, to Clause 2 as to Clause 1. They would, he thought, be better discussed on that clause. It was very desirable that they should dispose of Clause 1 that night in order to close that chapter before the recess began. He trusted there would be no difficulty in doing so.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURsaid it would, of course, be improper for him to debate the point, but the right hon. Gentleman must not assume that ho agreed with him that the Amendment could be as well discussed on subsequent clauses. If they were to discuss general principles the sooner they get at them the better. There could, however, be no question as to the importance of the debate which must take place on the clause as a whole, and he hoped that that would not be taken at an unreasonable hour.
§ Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER (Croydon)Cannot some arrangement be made by which Questions to the Secretary for War can be reached before the expiration of the time allotted to Questions?
§ [No Answer was returned.]