§ MR. MORTONI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether, seeing that the right of the public to know how the business of the Government is carried on is acknowledged by the regular publication of the dates of Cabinet meetings and the names of the Ministers who attend them, he will, in the case of the meetings of the Committee of the Privy Council on Education in Scotland, publish the names of the members of that Committee who attend these meetings; and whether, notwithstanding the absence of the precedent, he will now direct that the dates of meetings of the Committee, and the names of the members present should be regularly communicated to this House and the public.
§ SIR. H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI am not aware that any injury has been done to the public interest by the fact of such meetings not being published, and I do not see the necessity of instituting a new practice.
§ MR. SMEATONasked whether the advice which the Prime Minister gave the other day to "have done with these tomfooleries "should not be adopted in regard to this phantom Committee.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI should be sorry to apply such a word as "tomfoolery" to an institution which has lasted so long as this one.
§ MR. MORTONIs it not the fact that the whole thing is a farce? The Committee never meets at all and is never summoned.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANI should never think of using such language as that.