Mr. BALFOURI wish to ask the Prime Minister a question relating to the printing of the Amendments of the Revenue Bill, which comes up for discussion in Committee to-morrow. We only finished the Second Beading at twelve o'clock last night. I am given to understand that the Amendments are not all printed, and that those that are printed are not printed in order; whilst none of the new clauses are printed. It is most inconvenient to ask the House, under these circumstances, to go into Committee on the Bill to-morrow; and I would like to know whether we could not have a longer interval between the Second Beading and the Committee stage of the Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am told that in the course of an hour or two all the Amendments will be at the Vote Office; and by to-morrow morning, at all events, the printed Amendments will be in possession of Members. There were a great mass of Amendments handed in at the last moment.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am glad that on this particular occasion the first and the last happened to coincide. The bulk of the Amendments has taxed the printing resources of the House, but, as I say, they are expected to be at the disposal of hon. Members in the course of the next hour or two. I hope that may be sufficient, particularly in view of the fact that it is absolutely necessary, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, to get this Bill in all its stages disposed of before the end of the financial year.
§ Lord HUGH CECILWhy did not the right hon. Gentleman begin earlier in the year?