§ MR. WILLIAM REDMOND (Clare, E.)I beg to ask the Prime Minister if he will consider whether an opportunity may be offered to hon. Members for declaring by a vote their opinion as to whether or no business should be so arranged that the parliamentary session might commence earlier and terminate at the end of June each year.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman,) Stirling BurghsI do not know what opportunity can be offered for this purpose. I take it as pretty certain that there is a general desire that the House should rise a month or six weeks earlier in the summer than its habit has been. The difficulty is how to adjust business for that purpose. 875 I am myself disposed to think that it would not conduce to the despatch of business if the prorogation took place in summer. A better arrangement would be to adjourn in summer and prorogue in winter after an autumn session. But the Government have at present no definite proposal to make on the subject, and perhaps the hon. Member will, with others, apply his ingenious mind to a solution of the intricacies involved in this problem.
§ MR. WILLIAM REDMONDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the fact that I have already applied my "ingenious mind," having handed in a notice in this direction to be considered by the Committee on Procedure, whose report is to be discussed this afternoon? But the Committee has never sat since. Will not the right hon. Gentleman set up this Committee again in order that this recommendation may be made, as I am quite certain it would be made?
§ [No Answer was given.]