– in the House of Commons at on 24 July 1935.
asked the Prime Minister whether his attention has been drawn to the success that has attended the debates which have been recently initiated between Members of the British Parliament and members of the Parliaments of the Dominions, the Central Legislature of India, and certain of the Colonies, which have been made possible by the Government grant to the Empire Parliamentary Association; and whether he will consider the desirability in future years of earmarking a portion of that grant to ensure the continuation of such debates so that the advantages secured by these personal exchanges of views be not lost?
No one can doubt the value of a free interchange of views between members of the various Legislatures in the British Empire under the arrangements made by the Empire Parliamentary Association. But as regards the second part of my hon. and gallant Friend's question, I am not sure that any advantage would be gained by altering the present system under which the use of the grant made from public funds to the United Kingdom branch of the Association is determined by the Association under its Executive Committee.
Is it possible for the National Government to set up a debating society for its Members?