§ 80. Mr. LANE-FOXasked the hon. Member for Cheltenham, as Chairman of the Kitchen and Refreshment Rooms Committee, whether his attention has been drawn to a statement, made on Wednesday last on oath, that a dinner was held in the House of Commons recently by a number of gentlemen meeting for commercial purposes, and including several Members of this House, and that the dinner was ordered and paid for by a gentleman who was not a Member of the House of Commons; whether the Regulations permit of such a proceeding; and whether he has been able to ascertain in whose name the dinner was ordered?
§ Mr. RAWLINSONIn the absence of the Chairman (Sir J. Agg-Gardner), who is unavoidably detained in Paris, I have been asked to answer this question. The attention of the Committee has been called to the statement, and they have ascertained that the dinner in question was ordered and paid for by a Member of this House. The Regulations certainly do not permit of the proceedings indicated in the question. Only Members and privileged officials are allowed to order and pay for meals in the Dining Rooms of the House of Commons.
Mr. TYSON WILSONIs the hon and learned Gentleman aware that four Members of Parliament have declared on oath that no business of any sort or kind was discussed at the dinner?
§ Mr. RAWLINSONI came across the statement in the papers; but as a Kitchen Committee we could not inquire into that matter. It was only our duty to receive the order, as we did, from the hon. Member, and payment from him. We were not entitled to inquire into anything beyond that.
Mr. PALMERIn view of the Regulations in the course of the recent criminal trial, I wish to know whether you, Mr. Speaker, would, for the information of new Members, cause to be placed in the Tea Room some statement as to the conditions under which Members may receive and entertain visitors.
§ Mr. SPEAKERMy attention was drawn on Friday to the rider to the 1902 verdict of the jury in the case of the King v. Hease. I, who am responsible for the admission of strangers to the various parts of the House, have come to the conclusion that the best course is for me to invite the Kitchen Committee, which is a body elected from various-parts of the House and representing the House as a whole, to consider what change, if any, should be made in the Regulations admitting strangers to various parts of the House. I have asked them to consider that matter, and to report to me, and when I receive their Report I shall, of course, put it into effect. If it is necessary to give further notice of any changes in the Regulations, I shall be prepared to do so.
I think that the general Regulations at present existing are pretty well known, that is to say, during the sittings of the House, in order to take strangers into the Lobby, or the corridors it is necessary to obtain an Order to View, but it is not necessary to obtain an Order to View if it is only desired to take a stranger to the rooms on the Terrace or to the Terrace itself. Of course, when the House is not sitting, strangers may be taken to the various parts of the House when accompanied by a Member. Those are the Regulations which generally obtain, but when I have received the Report of the Kitchen Committee it may be necessary to make some change.