§ MR. H. C. LEAI beg to ask the Prime Minister whether the King, on his approaching visit to Reval to interview the Czar of Russia, will be accompanied by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs or some other Member of the Cabinet, so as to be present at such interviews or at interviews between the King and the Russian Foreign; Minister, in accordance with constitutional practice and precedent.
§ MR. LYNCH (Yorkshire, W.R., Ripon)Before answering the Question, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he recognises the reasonableness of the desire, which is felt in more than one quarter of the House, that on a visit of this nature His Majesty should be 1291 accompanied by a Minister responsible to Parliament?
§ * MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is only repeating the Question on the Paper.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLYes, but with greater force.
§ MR. ASQUITHThe King will not be accompanied by any Member of the Cabinet. With regard to constitutional practice and precedent, I must refer my hon. Member to previous Answers which have been given. I can only repeat that in the transaction of all affairs of State the practice of the Constitution is adhered to and the responsibility of Ministers of the Crown is fully maintained.
§ MR. H. C. LEAIs it not a fact that according to the librarian here the book which is the greatest authority on constitutional practice is the work called "The Law and the Custom of the Constitution," written by the hon. Member for Oxford University, and that on page 43 of that book it says that on no account should the head of the State see a foreign Sovereign or a foreign Minister without he is accompanied by a Member of the Cabinet?
§ * MR. SPEAKERThat would require more research.