§ Mr. REMNANTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his telegram to Mr. Herbert Samuel, announcing for the first time that the Government intended to introduce a Miners (Eight Hours) Amending Bill, whether he will tell the House when it is proposed to introduce such a Bill; and whether he will explain why such special and exceptional information was given to a Parliamentary candidate for use during his election campaign at one of his election meetings?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Herbert Gladstone)I hope to introduce the Bill very soon. The point- involved, that of the Saturday shift, is a small one, not affecting the principle of the Act, and it would certainly have been provided for in the Bill of last Session had attention been called to it. The question of an amending Bill has been under my consideration for some time, and it had to be promptly decided when the difficulty made itself felt, especially in Cleveland, owing to the coming into operation of the Act on July 1st. An announcement would in any case have had to be made at the same time and in the same quarter.
§ Mr. REMNANTMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the giving of this exceptional information, at an exceptional time, under an exceptional difficulty, during an exceptional election, does not bring his action within the Corrupt Practices Act?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEThere was nothing exceptional in the matter. I could not have withheld the information owing to the mere incident of a by-election.
§ Sir F. BANBURYAre we to understand that it is the settled practice of the Government to invent new legislation on the eve of an election to assist the return of Ministers?
§ Mr. REMNANTWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether this information, which was most useful to the Government candidate, was offered to anybody else before?
§ Mr. GLADSTONEAnybody who had asked for it could certainly have had it.
§ Sir F. BANBURYWill the right hon. Gentleman give an answer to my question?