HC Deb 14 May 1907 vol 174 c801
MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)

asked the Prime Minister if his attention had been drawn to the fact that Standing Committee "A" had had to be adjourned on the previous day to the great inconvenience of private Members, because no member of the Government or law officer of the Crown was present. He asked the right hon. Gentleman if he would take steps to secure that such a state of matters did not occur again.

MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman was aware that the adjournment was only for half an hour, and that at the end of that time the Bill under discussion was gone through and reported to the House?

SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

said the Bill was a private Member's Bill, the adjournment was for seventeen and a half minutes, and the whole proceedings were thereafter finished in one and a quarter hours, when the Bill was reported to the House. He could not think, therefore, that any great inconvenience had been caused.

MR. T. L. CORBETT

Did not the hon. Member for South Tyrone himself move the adjournment in order not to bring these Committees into disrepute?