THIRD READING. (Hansard, 9 May 1901)

*LORD WINDSOR

My Lords, in moving the Third Reading of this Bill I have a question to ask my noble friend the Secretary for Scotland. In Committee a clause was introduced, at the instance of 1122 the Secretary for Scotland, excluding Scotland from the operation of the Bill. I reluctantly assented to that. I say reluctantly, because I had received communications from library authorities and persons interested in libraries in Scotland strongly supporting the Bill. I understood, however, that the noble Lord did not object to some of the provisions of the Bill, and therefore I would ask him if he would favourably consider whether upon a future occasion a Bill, dealing with Scotland, on somewhat similar lines, can be introduced. Of course, I do not for a moment expect him to pledge himself to anything of a definite nature.

*THE SECRETARY FOR SCOTLAND (Lord BALFOUR of BURLEIGH)

My Lords, nothing could have been fairer or more accurate than the account which the noble Lord has given of what passed at the former stage of the Bill. I did carefully consider whether it would be expedient to apply any part of this Bill to Scotland, and I was advised, without hesitation, by those whose business it is to study these questions with more legal skill than I can bring to bear upon them, that to apply this Bill to Scotland would introduce a considerable amount of confusion and doubt as to the Acts of Parliament regulating Scottish public libraries. I think that the majority of those who are interested in libraries in Scotland came also to that conclusion. Certainly more than one of the legal societies in Scotland who have committees to examine Bills of this kind were of opinion that the disadvantages of applying any part of the Bill to Scotland would be greater than the advantages. I do not deny that one or two of the clauses are an advance upon anything we have in Scotland at the present time, and might usefully be applied to Scottish libraries. But the whole of the Acts relating to public libraries in Scotland are in rather a state of confusion, and it would be well worth while to codify and in some respects simplify the law. Under these circumstances I have to express my acknowledgments and thanks to the noble Lord for agreeing with the proposal which I made, and to assure him that I will most carefully consider the desirability of amending the aw in Scotland with regard to 1123 public libraries in the direction of certain of the clauses of this Bill. I cannot, of course, undertake to introduce a Bill in the present session, but I will keep it before me as an object to be attained at as early a date as possible.