THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWNMy Lords, it happened that last year on more than one occasion Bills were brought forward which affected county finance and county administration in Scotland, and that those Bills passed, or very nearly passed through Parliament without the County Councils having had an opportunity of expressing any opinion upon them. I brought the matter under the notice of the Secretary of State for Scotland last year, and he told me that he would take steps to convey the information in future in such cases to the County Councils. My Lords, during the present Session one Bill has been introduced and passed through this House so rapidly that it was impossible for the County Councils to consider it, and there are pending in the other House at the present time Bills, some introduced by private Members, and I think one, at all events, introduced by the Government which also the County Councils have had no opportunity of considering. I should like therefore to ask the Secretary for Scotland what steps have been taken to ensure that 143 all Bills specially affecting counties in Scotland should be brought under the notice of the County Councils in Scotland before being passed by Parliament?
* THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (the Marquess of LOTHIAN)I suppose the noble Earl is referring to what I stated last year on the Amendment to the Public Health (Scotland) Act Amendment Act when I said that I had given instructions that if possible such Bills should be distributed to the County Councils before they passed through Parliament. I stated at the same time that it was not part of my official duty to do so. I may state that I had made arrangements and hoped it would have been possible to carry them into effect, but I found, in endeavouring to do so, that really in practice it was not feasible. I think the noble Earl will agree with me that, unless this proposal which he now makes could be carried out in its entirety, it would be very undesirable to try it at all; because the County Councils would rely upon the Scotch Office to send them all Bills, whether private or public, and, if they did not get them, they would suppose that the Bills had either been dropped or were not to be pressed. I think that would be a very undesirable state of affairs. My Lords, the fact is that it is quite impossible for my Office to undertake this duty. What had always been done previously to the passing of the Local Government (Scotland) Act was that those interested in any Bill, the Commissioners of Supply, either through agents in London or through Members of Parliament who might be interested in them, always had the Bills sent down to them for consideration; and I cannot see why that system should not now be carried into effect. I am afraid I cannot undertake, on the part of the Government, to forward every Bill, either public or private, to the County Councils for their consideration. At the same time I hope the noble Earl will not misunderstand me; I trust he will bear me out in saying that I have consulted, as my desire is on all possible occasions to consult, the views of the County Councils before legislation is passed—I mean in all practical and proper ways. My Lords, the Roads 144 and Bridges (Scotland) Bill, to which my noble Friend referred, is a Bill that affects the County Councils very considerably I admit; but, as I stated to your Lordships at the time, I was unable to postpone that Bill, even if Amendments might be desired, because it is absolutely necessary that the Bill should pass through Parliament without any delay whatever. If that Bill had been referred to the County Councils it would not have been possible to pass it before June or July, which would have been much too late for the purposes with which it is intended the Bill should deal. Therefore, while I am afraid I cannot undertake to send all Bills to the County Councils for consideration, my answer to the noble Earl is that I will do what I have hitherto done—take every proper step to ascertain their views upon any Bill that may be brought before Parliament.