§ THE MARQUESS OF LINLITHGOW rose to ask His Majesty's Government whether, having regard to the statement made by the Lord Chancellor in the House of Lords on June 7, they can state when it is proposed to introduce a Bill to raise the slates of the Secretary for Scotland. The noble Marquess said: My Lords, it has been suggested that the apparent disinclination of His Majesty's Government to give effect to what I think I shall not he corrected if I call the assurance of the noble Viscount on the Woolsack on June 7 that the status and emoluments of the Secretary of Scotland would be raised, has been due to a failure to reiterate the demand by those both in this House and in another place, who are interested in this project. I do not think that this is the ease, because it can hardly be suggested that the failure to 826 repeat this Question shows any lack of interest in the matter by those who come from Scotland. I trust that we may be told in what it is that those of us who have been concerned in this matter have failed.
§ So far as I remember, the contingencies which the noble and learned Viscount suggested as those which might make it impossible for His Majesty's Government to implement their promise were, first, that the industrial situation should be unfavourable, and I do not think that that held good; secondly, that the principle of the Bill might be controverted in another place, and, so far as I know, that is not the case. And, indeed, I can hardly suppose that it will be pleaded that lack of Parliamentary time was the cause of the failure to introduce the measure. I trust that Scotsmen who are interested ill this question may have the assurance this evening that the undertaking which His Majesty's Government has given on this point may he carried forward to the next session.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, the noble Marquess is perfectly right in his recollection that very plain statements of intention have been made, both by me in this House and by other Ministers elsewhere. On the last occasion when I replied myself to a question which dealt with the present session, I stated that, if the Bill was uncontroversial, or was likely to be treated as uncontroversial, in another Place, it was still the hope of the Governmwnt, to introduce legislation during the present session. I am informed that inquiries made in the channels commonly employed disclosed the fact that, however uncontroversial the Bill might be amongst. Scottish members, it was not uncontroversial if one took the House as a whole, and certainly would not pass on to the Statute Book without a. discussion, which might in the event prove to be protracted. As far as I know the Government has in no way modified its view that it is a separate case, and one which ought to be dealt with. I have given such assurances in this House, and I in no way recede from them. I have taken every opportunity which presented itself tome of impressing upon my colleagues s the case for the assurances that have been given.
I would suggest to the noble Marquess that he might abandon his assaults upon me, for I am a willing victim arid that he-should mobilise the cohorts of his fellow-countrymen in the House of Commons 827 and fall upon my colleagues there. If wavering there has been, it has been there and not here. As far as I am concerned I have never varied from the views I have already expressed and in respect to which, with the authority of my colleagues, I gave assurances which had, as I believed then and as I still believe, the acquiescence of my colleagues, speaking of them in a body.