§ Mr. CREANasked whether a Royal Commission is to be appointed to consider the appointment of magistrates; whether the inquiry will include Ireland; and, if so, will Ireland be represented on the Commission?
§ The PRIME MINISTERNo, Sir, I think not. The Royal Commission announced by the Lord Chancellor is intended to deal with the question of the appointment of magistrates in England, Scotland and Wales. I hope that the proceedings of the Commission, which has not yet been constituted, will not be of a prolonged character, and when the inquiry has been concluded the Government will be glad to consider whether a similar inquiry should be held in the case of Ireland, where, I may add, the conditions differ, to some extent, from those in Great Britain.