The Week in l'arliament
Our Parliamentary Correspondent writes: I write on the last day of the most mcmorable session Parliament has ever knowm It is too near to assess the remarkable events which have followed in swift succession. But it is important now to record the part which Westminster has played and is still play- ing. There is a conception of Parliament which still obtains in some parts of the country which is usually voiced in the following terms. "This is no time for talking, we need a businesslike and efficient Government, which will take action." There could be no more profound misunderstanding of the functions of Parliament. If during these last years criticism had been more acute, more informed and more organised, many weaknesses in our national policies would have been revealed. Parliament has suffered from inactivity, bad attend- ances, a swollen majority. It has also suffered from the poor calibre of its membership. Many reforms will be necessary before efficiency and democracy can be achieved. The party system and selection of candidates, the restoration of debates on main principles of policy, the growth of smaller meetings and debates in committee-rooms, these and many other ques- tions will need radical reconsideration at some future date.
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