THE EARL OF MORLEYMy Lords, I beg to ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is proposed to appoint a Joint Committee of the two Houses to consider questions relating to municipal trading. I must at once admit to the House that I have asked this question not so much with a view of obtaining information as with a view of urging on Her Majesty's Government the importance of appointing as soon as possible a Committee to inquire into what is generally called municipal trading. There are a large number of Bills which, to some extent, deal with this question, and I refer especially to Bills by which municipalities take powers very largely to extend their tramways or electrical undertakings beyond the borough limits. It is very difficult for Committees to whom these Bills are referred, if they are opposed, or for myself, in the case of unopposed Bills, to know quite how to deal with them without having some guidance from Parliament. It is also not quite fair to those who are introducing Bills that they should not know definitely what they will be allowed to do and what they will not be allowed to do. Therefore, I would very strongly urge upon the Government the necessity in the public interest that the Committee which was promised last year should be appointed as soon as possible, so that we may have some means of judging before the end of the session how these questions of large and widespread importance should be dealt with.
§ THE EARL OF WEMYSSBefore my noble friend answers the noble Earl, I should like to say that I am very glad this question has been put. Last night I had the honour of being asked to dine with the London Chamber of Commerce, where municipal trading was the question for discussion after dinner. The almost unanimous feeling was expressed that it was necessary that some such Committee as this should be appointed, in order to draw the line beyond which municipal trading should not extend, for municipalities now enter into almost every kind of trade. My own view is that it is by private enterprise that our commercial country has attained its present position, and that national progress depends upon private enterprise, and not upon the 9 municipalisation of inventions when they come out.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of SALISBURY)I presume from the fact that my noble friend at the table has addressed this question to Her Majesty's Government that he holds Her Majesty's Government responsible for arranging these private Bills in this proposed manner. Now, I have always been taught that the Government takes no side in private Bills, and that private Bills are left to the management of the very able Members in both Houses of Parliament who devote themselves to that task. I am not, therefore, able as a member of the Government to give any answer to my noble friend. If he asks me individually I say it is very desirable that such a Committee should be appointed. I observe in the ordinary channels of information that a similar sentiment was expressed by the Leader of the other House of Parliament, but we do not accept it as a Government measure. The House of Lords is perfectly willing to do its part in the appointment of this Joint Committee, and as soon as the House of Commons has come to a similar resolution I hope the Joint Committee will set on foot what I have no doubt will be its very salutary deliberations.
House adjourned at a quarter before Five of the clock, till To-morrow, half-past Ten of the clock.