§ 57. Mr. BRIDGEMANasked if the Prime Minister will appoint a small Committee of this House to scrutinise the protests signed by over 103,000 Nonconformist adults in Wales against the Disendowment Clauses of the Established Church (Wales) Bill?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI do not see my way to do this. I would refer the hon. Member to my reply on 23rd February to the hon. Member for the Denbigh District.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIf the right hon. Gentleman is not prepared to have a scrutiny made into this protest, will he restrain his supporters from throwing doubts upon it by saying that it was sent to the right hon. Gentleman in order that * it might not be scrutinised?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI never made that statement. I said that the petition should be presented to the House of Commons, and be examined by the Petitions Committee.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that during the whole Debate on the Bill hon. Members opposite threw doubts on the bona fides of the petition, and, if he will not have it scrutinised, have they any right to throw doubts upon it?