§ Order of the Day for the Third Reading read.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 3a.—(The Marquess of Lansdowne.)
§ EARL ST. ALDWYNMy Lords, in Committee on this Bill I asked the noble Marquess a Question with regard to the second clause, which enacts tha the Parliamentary and Local Government Register now in force shall continue until a special Register is framed by Parliament to supplant it or until Parliament otherwise directs. I called attention to the fact that this Register is now a year and a-half old, and that it gets less accurate with every week that passes. Indeed it will be such a Register in the course of the next eight months that really it will be hardly possible with any fairness to hold a Parliamentary election upon it. I asked the noble Marquess whether he would undertake to give me an answer upon the Third Reading of this Bill as to whether His Majesty's Government would introduce and carry a Bill in the session of 1916 to provide a new Register so that it might be possible to hold a General Election during the course of the present year, and the noble Marquess promised that he would give me a reply to-day.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LANSDOWNEMy Lords, I greatly regret that the conversation to which my noble friend refers had escaped my memory. I feel no doubt that legislation will be necessary, but I am not in a position to say anything definite on the subject to-day. If my noble friend will repeat the Question to me to-morrow, I will give him a precise answer.
§ On Question, Bill read 3a, and passed.