§ THE EARL OF SHAFTESBURY rose to call attention to the Report of the Select Committee of the House of Lords on the Thrift and Credit Banks Bill; and to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture whether His Majesty's Government have an early intention of introducing legislation dealing with the questions raised in that Report.
§ The noble Earl said: Your Lordships will remember that last year a Thrift and Credit Banks Bill was introduced into your Lordships' House, and, by common consent, was referred to a Select Committee. That Committee made an exhaustive inquiry into the subject and issued what I hope will be a Report of some value. I am anxious that the matter should not be lost sight of, and therefore beg to ask the Question standing in my name.
§ THE FIRST COMMISSIONER OF WORKS (EARL BEAUCHAMP)My Lords, my noble friend the President of the Board 1087 of Agriculture regrets that he has been called away by an old and important engagement, and has asked me to answer the Question on his behalf. The matter of rural credit has been receiving the attention of His Majesty's Government for some months most but owing to the regrettable Mess of one of the Parliamentary draftsmen it has not been possible to lay the Bill on the Table of the House, but my noble friend hopes to do so at an early date after Easter.
§ THE EARL OF CROMERMy Lords, this is certainly not the occasion to go fully into this question, but I should like to remind your Lordships that Lord Dunmore has a Bill down for discussion early in May which deals with small ownership. The subjects are distinct though they are intimately connected, and I think it would facilitate discussion and the formation of opinion if His Majesty's Government would let us know what their intentions are about the noble Earl's measure before Lord Dunmore's Bill is taken.