§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)asked the Speaker what would be the position of the two Standing Committees in view of the changes that would be made by the new rules of procedure.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe conclusion to which I have come is that there is nothing in the new Standing Orders to abrogate the position of the two Standing Committees on Law and Trade; they will remain and continue to exercise the functions they have hitherto exercised and will dispose of the Bills committed to them, until such time, if any, as the House may take other action or until they have completed their work. If the House chooses to transfer the series of Bills which has been committed to the two Committees, to the new Committees to be appointed, that is a matter for the House to decide; but until that decision is come to it is the duty of the two Committees to continue and to dispose of the work committed to them by the House.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN (Worcestershire, E.)asked if the House was to understand that, until the House otherwise ordered, there would be four Standing Committees in addition to the existing two.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThere cannot be six Committees; the House has not provided for them. The House has provided for four, and the two existing Committees will go on with their work until their labours are concluded, unless the House takes other steps and sets up two new Committees in lieu of them.
§ LORD BALCARRES (Lancashire, Chorley)inquired whether private Members would continue to retain the precedence on both the existing Grand Committees which they now possessed.
§ *MR. SPEAKERI take it that the rules which regulate the working of the Grand Committees will continue to apply to them so long as these Grand Committees are in force.