Sitting of 25 November 1884

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILLS—Second Reading—Committee negatived—Third Reading—Income Tax* (11), and passed.
Third Reading—Justices' Jurisdiction* (2); Law of Evidence Amendment* (3), and passed.

THE NEW PUBLIC OFFICES—THE WAR OFFICE AND ADMIRALTY.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  LORD LAMINGTONsaid, that, in consequence of the answer given by the noble Lord opposite (Lord Sudeley) to the Question of his noble Friend (the Earl of Wemyss) yesterday on this subject, he wished to ask him whether the Government would not take means to delay any further steps with respect to the new Public Offices until they knew exactly what land there was at their disposal? He understood that it was the intention of the Government, or of a private Company, to carry out further improvements in Parliament Street, and to pull down the various buildings there. Would it not be much better, therefore, to postpone any further steps connected with those Offices until they knew what ground they would have at their disposal, and had got a general plan of the whole of the Public Offices which might be required? Before their Lordships adjourned he trusted that the noble Lord would be able to give their Lordships some kind of assurance on that subject.
  LORD SUDELEYsaid, he could not answer the Question without Notice. He could assure the noble Lord, however, that he was under a misapprehension in thinking that a private Company proposed to take any of the ground on which the new Public Offices were to be erected. What the private Company proposed to do in the way of improving Parliament Street would not interfere in the slightest degree with the new Offices.

  INCOME TAX BILL.
  Read 2a (according to order); Committee negatived; Then Standing Order No. XXXV. considered (according to order), and dispensed with; Bill read 3a, and passed.
  House adjourned at half past Four o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Ten o'clock.