§ 56. Mr. BOOTHasked the Prime Minister if he is aware that the Committee Booms are fully occupied and that, in addition to the usual total of eleven Select Committees (Kitchen, Divorce Bills, Petitions, Railways and Canals, Selection, Publications, Public Accounts, Privileges, Estimates, Standing Orders, and Chairman's Panel), with a total membership of 120, there are nine special Select Committees sitting or proposed to be set up, namely, Post Office Servants (nine members), Gas Products (five members), Putumayo Atrocities (15 members), Commons (11 members), Consolidation Bills (five members), Patent Medicines (15 members), Marconi Agreement (15 members), Vacation of Seat (nine members), and Motor Traffic (15 members): whether he is aware that the three Standing Committees of 80 members each have eight Bills still to dispose of, the last being the Pilotage Bill of over 50 Clauses; and whether, in view of the fact that the principal measures of the Government necessitate constant attendance in the House, he will consider what relief can be afforded to Members?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am fully aware of the heavy work which Members are called upon to undertake, and I have no doubt that the figures given by my hon. Friend are substantially correct, though 1477 a number of the Select Committees to which he refers have practically finished their labours for the Session. I do not see my way to accede to the suggestion at the end of the question, but I will gladly consider any proposal of a practical kind that my hon. Friend may have to make.