§ VISCOUNT NOVARMy Lords, I beg to ask the Lord Chancellor whether the Committee which is considering the question of legal proceedings by or against the Crown has yet reported, and, if so, when the Report will be published.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLORMy Lords, I have received this Report, and it will be laid on the Table to-day. Prints will be available within a few days. I desire, however, in order to prevent misunderstanding, to make one observation on the Report. 914 The Committee was originally requested to consider the position of the Crown as litigant and propose such amendments in the law as they might consider advisable and feasible, and to prepare a draft Bill. But a little later, when my noble and learned friend who now leads the Opposition in this House was Lord Chancellor, he modified those instructions, and desired the Committee to prepare a Bill on certain lines, which were laid down, and on the assumption that the alterations in the law involved therein were both desirable and feasible. The Committee have followed that instruction closely. They have prepared a Bill on the lines laid down, but they have expressed no opinion as to whether the changes proposed are either feasible or desirable. That being so, we have nothing but a draft Bill prepared on the subject, and, of course, it will be for the Government to consider whether, and how far, the changes proposed are desirable and are feasible, and they must reserve full freedom either to adopt or not to adopt any of the proposals contained in the Bill.
§ VISCOUNT HALDANEMy Lords, I am glad to hear the statement of the Lord Chancellor. The subject is one of vast importance and has been under consideration not only here but throughout the Empire. When we get the Bill we can then see whether it requires modification, or expansion, or contraction. The subject is so difficult a one that it is impossible to express an opinion without the draft measure being before us.
§ House adjourned at five minutes before five o'clock.