HL Deb 13 December 1911 vol 10 c897
THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

My Lords, before your Lordships begin business I should like to say a word or two with regard to a Memorandum on the Insurance Bill for which I moved some days ago. I made that Motion with great reluctance, because I was fully aware of the amount of trouble and labour which it would throw upon members of the Civil Service, who, as we all know, in these days of long sittings have already such a very heavy burden to bear. I should not have been in the least disappointed if the noble Viscount the Leader of the House had said that in the present congested state of business he did not feel justified in granting the Return; but the Return was granted, and I think it would be ungrateful in me if I did not express to those members of the Civil Service who prepared that Report, whoever they were—I do not know whether it was done at the Treasury or in the Government draftsmen's department, or where it was done—my gratitude for the very great assistance which they gave to me personally, at all events, and I believe to many of your Lordships in the consideration of the Bill. I endeavoured to follow as well as I could the endless and daily alterations and changes which were made in the Bill, but. I found it impossible to keep pace with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and I am bound to say that if it had not been for this Memorandum I should not have been able to arrive at a limited knowledge or at any general idea of the Bill as a whole. I merely say this because I am very sensible of the great task undertaken, for it must have involved a large amount of labour upon a staff which is already overworked, and I wish to express my gratitude to them.