§ MR. AUSTIN TAYLOR (Liverpool, East Toxteth)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if he can say whether, in view of the fact that at an earlier period of the session the Report of the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Disorders was expected to be issued before Whitsuntide ‡ immediate publication may now be expected.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANMy hon. friend does not quote the Answer I gave quite accurately. I informed him on February 22nd ‡ that Lord St. Aldwyn, the chairman of the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Discipline, hoped that Report would be completed by Whitsuntide. There is a little shade of difference—a substantial shade—between "hope'' and "expect." Lord St. Aldwyn now informs me that since that time the Commissioners have sat regularly two days a week, being very anxious to complete their work as soon as possible. The Report and recommendations are only awaiting final revision, and he anticipates that this will be completed, if not by Whitsuntide, at any rate in the week after Whitsuntide. The Commissioners have felt from an early period of the inquiry that the Report and evidence should be published together; and with this view, while the Report was being considered, the printing of the evidence and appendices, and preparation of the index have been pushed forward so that this work might be finished as nearly as possible simultaneously with the Report.
§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)Does the right hon. Gentleman think that will be I in July?
§ MR. MACVEAGH (Down, S.)About the 12th?
† See (4) Debates, clvii., 1250.‡ See (4) Debates, clii., 519.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNo. I have given a straightforward account of what the Commissioners have done, and I think from what we know that Lord St. Aldwyn, who is an energetic person, is likely to carry though anything he undertakes.