§ MR. BRAMSDONI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether, having regard to the difficulties and objections attending legislation by reference, he will, in order to facilitate the construction of Acts of Parliament and by way of convenience, consider the advisability of arranging that where a reference is made hereafter to individual sections of another Statute, a copy of such individual sections shall, wherever possible, be placed in the form of a footnote on the same page of the Act of Parliament in which the reference is made.
THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. CAMPBELL-BANNEUMAN, Stirling Burghs)I 1311 doubt whether the printing of Sections of Acts of Parliament for reference in the shape of footnotes would greatly facilitate the interpretation of Acts of Parliament. There are, I understand, many enterprising lawyers who seize upon new, Statutes and elucidate them in a way which it would be impossible to excel and the handbooks which contain their handiwork are issued at a price which makes them accessible to all. I should like, however, to add that if the House would look favourably upon the efforts which are made from time to time to consolidate existing Statutes it would do more than anything else to provide a solution of the question.