§ Mr. PIRIEasked, with reference to the Amendments affecting Scotland in the Insurance Bill, if the Lord Advocate can state when, where, and by whom they were originally drafted, and on what date, and by whom they were submitted to a section of the Scottish Liberal Members; whether, at the second meeting of those Members held on the morning of the 13th instant, the day these Amendments were debated in this House, there were only about a dozen Members present; and, seeing that the principal Amendment, regarding the powers of local authorities, for which a deputation of about twenty-four gentlemen, representing these authorities in Scotland, spent many days in London on deputation work, was not attained, and that the local authorities in question consider that they have a grievance against their representatives, any action is proposed by the Scotch Office to remodel the Bill more in keeping with the expressed desires of the people of Scotland?
§ Mr. UREThe Government Amendments to the Insurance Bill were prepared as is usual. The communications which passed between the Scottish Office and certain, of the Scottish Members relative to the Insurance Bill and the Amendments thereon were confidential, and I am not, therefore, prepared to enter into the details asked for by my hon. Friend. I am not aware what number of Members was present at the meeting referred to in the question. I cannot conceive of any grievance which the local authorities have against their representatives in this House in connection with any Amendment made upon the Bill.
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEMay I ask if these Government Amendments to the Insurance Bill were submitted to or seen by Scottish Liberals?
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEWill the same privilege be extended to Scottish Members on this side of the House?
§ Mr. PIRIEMay I ask the Lord Advocate why a fortnight before these Amendments were debated, in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Dumfries, and in answer to a question by myself, he did not explain the intended action of the Scottish Office on this matter, or adopt the suggestion of the hon. Member for Dumfriesshire to issue a separate document explaining what was intended, and so have avoided mistakes and confusion?
§ Mr. UREI explained to the Committee that it was impossible at that date to give any definite information to the hon. Member, for this reason: that we could not, until the subsequent Clauses of the Bill had been adjusted, make a final adjustment of the Scottish Clauses.
§ Mr. WATTWere the Amendments drafted by the hon. Member for Forfarshire (Mr. Falconer), who himself moved their acceptance?