§ Sir WILLIAM COLLINSMay I with the permission of the House, ask the right hon. Gentleman the First Commissioner of Works, with reference to the London Elections Bill which was to be introduced to-day under the 10 minutes rule, will he be so good as to explain, as it has not appeared on the Paper, when he proposes to introduce it.
§ The FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (Mr. Lewis Harcourt)I have to apologise to the House for a very stupid blunder. There was an omission last night to hand in a formal notice at the Table. It was my intention to ask leave to introduce this Bill to-day. There were three ox four of us who had the right and the duty to hand in this notice. Each of us believed that the other would have put it in at the table. I had made arrangements with the Public Bills Office by which the Bill would have been printed this afternoon and circulated to hon. Members tomorrow morning, and I hoped that they would spend their happy hours in studying its details. Unfortunately this will not now be possible. I am quite sure if it had been possible with the general consent of the House to introduce the Bill, that consent would not have been withheld, but I am told by the authorities that that is not possible, and I therefore give notice that I will introduce it on the first day of the meeting of the House.