§ Mr. LAWTHER(by Private Notice) asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury whether any arrangements have been made to improve the prospects of questions addressed to the Secretary of the Mines Department being reached during the period allowed for oral questions on Tuesdays?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr.T.Kennedy)Yes, Sir. It is proposed that, on Tuesday, the 2nd December, questions addressed to the Secretary of the Mines Department shall appear first on the Order Paper, followed by questions to the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretary of State for War, and the Secretary of State for Scotland. Thereafter, on Tuesdays, questions addressed to the five Ministers concerned will successively occupy first place on the Order Paper, as occurs at present in the ease of questions addressed to the four last named.
§ Viscount WOLMERIs it possible to make arrangements by which questions to the Postmaster-General can be included?
Mr. MACLEANWill the hon. Gentleman reconsider this matter, in view of the fact that all the Departments governed by the Secretary of State for Scotland have only one day on which questions can be addressed to them, and that now they are going to have one opportunity in five along with the other four Departments Can he not make a rearrangement of questions so that some of the English Departments which appear upon the Order Paper twice in a week can be put down once in order that Scotland may get a better chance?
Major WOODYesterday there were only 67 questions upon the Order Paper, and last Wednesday there were not more than that number, and therefore would it not be better if some arrangement could be made so that some of the Ministers who at present answer questions on Tuesdays might have their questions transferred either to Monday or to Wednesday?
§ Mr. KENNEDYThe answer which I gave in reply to this question was given after what, I think, was a, complete understanding between all the Departments concerned, including the Department of the Secretary of State' for Scotland.
§ Major ELLIOTI wish to point out that it is the natural desire of Departments to avoid being questioned.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe keep turning these questions round and round and we get no satisfaction. I think that it will be wise to try the suggestion made by the Patronage Secretary and see how it works.
§ Major ROSSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that so far this Session the Post master-General has not been reached on Tuesdays at all, and will it be possible, in view of the protests which have been made All over the House about the matter, to make an arrangement by which one can be certain of having questions answered by the Postmaster-General?
§ Mr. KENNEDYIf I may be allowed to say so, I think that the number of supplementary questions which are asked has a bearing upon the question which has been put to me.
§ Major COLFOXWould it not be better if Question Time on Friday was given to the Scottish Minister?