DEVELOPMENT AND ROAD IMPROVE MENT FUNDS BILL. (Hansard, 25 November 1909)

HC Deb 25 November 1909 vol 13 cc372-445 372

§ Order read for further consideration of Lords Amendments.

§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Lords Amendments be now considered."

§ Lord ROBERT CECIL
Before the House agrees to that Motion, I desire to ask the Government whether they are not in a position to state the names of the Development Commissioners? The House will recollect on the last occasion that this matter was raised before the House the Prime Minister gave a distinct undertaking that before we were asked to consider the Lords Amendments to this Bill the names of the Commissioners should be stated, and it evidently is a matter of importance that before the House parts with the full control of the Bill these names should be before it. Certainly I venture to say that we have a right to ask the Government whether they are now in a position to state those names, and if they cannot state all the names, perhaps they will state some of them?

§ The SOLICITOR - GENERAL (Sir Samuel Evans)
The practice of the House has been to state the names of Commissioners of this kind altogether if the names can be stated altogether, and sometimes to state the names of some, although they are not fully appointed. I regret to say that although this matter has had and is having the serious consideration of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and of the Government, we are not at present in a position to inform the House as to who the Commissioners are proposed to be. I hope nevertheless the Lords Amendments will be considered now, and that we shall deal with them on their merits. It is really because of the important position which the Commissioners are to occupy that their nomination has been delayed. Everybody is agreed that the best possible men who can be obtained ought to be obtained, and the difficulties have arisen partly from the importance of the duties which they will have to perform.

§ Sir FREDERICK BANBURY
May I ask whether we are to understand that these Commissioners have not yet been appointed?

§ Sir SAMUEL EVANS
None of them.

§ Sir F. BANBURY
None of them? Then in view of the fact that this is a very 373 important matter, will the right hon. Gentleman give us an undertaking that they will not be appointed before next February?

§ Sir SAMUEL EVANS
I am afraid I cannot give that undertaking on behalf of the Government, because the result would be that the Bill, if passed, would be hung up in its operation between this and next February.