Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Mr. Speaker, before leaving the order for questions may I suggest that questions 16 and 17 asked by the hon. member for Qu'Appelle (Mr. Perley) and 29 and 30 asked by the hon. member for Cumberland (Mr. Black) should not be turned into orders for returns. Short answers could be given to these questions, and under the rules we are entitled to have answers which will appear in Hansard.

My understanding of the rule is that questions are passed as orders for returns in order to avoid encumbering Hansard with long answers, occasioned by reproducing all or parts of departmental files, and so on. I should not think that the questions I have

Questions as Orders-Procedure

indicated would come within that category; they are of a type which heretofore have been answered in the usual way.

Mr. GARDINER:

It will take at least three weeks to obtain the answer to question 17. The information must be obtained from western Canada. I suggest that if the question is to be answered as a question it be deleted for the present, rather than have it stand from day to day throughout a long period of time. The answer will be quite lengthy, even at the end of that time. The other question to which the hon. member referred is of about the same type.

Mr. MICHAUD:

With regard to question 29, may I point out that the answer will consist of a three-column return; in other words, there will be 120 names with two sets of figures against each name, and the material would fill two pages of Hansard. It is thought advisable to make it a return.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

That is not an answer.

Mr. POWER:

With respect to question 30, only a few moments ago the chief of the air staff made representations to me to the effect that the procuring of the information indicated in the question would take some considerable time, and he pointed out further that the staff of the department is at the present time extremely busy.

I have no objection at all to allowing the question to remain on the order paper. I believe some parts of the question, notably that part which seeks information respecting the contributions by municipalities or private interests towards each air field, would require an order for return. In any event my information is that possibly we could get the reply for the hon. member for Cumberland very much faster if it were done privately than we could by asking the staff to work on the preparation of a return. If the hon. member for Cumberland insists upon its remaining on the order paper, we will answer it, but we cannot guarantee that it will be answered within a short time. I can tell the hon. member, however, that we will give him the information privately as soon as we can get it.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

On that point may I say that these are questions of public interest.

Mr. POWER:

There is no secrecy about it.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Some of these questions are of more than local interest. They are of interest to more than the hon. member who asks the question, and they should appear in Hansard in the ordinary way,

Mr. POWER:

I have no objection to allowing the question to remain, if the hon. member wishes it.

Mr. LAPOINTE (Quebec East):

Questions are passed as orders for returns as a matter of convenience, and I believe my hon. friend is wrong in saying the rule precludes that procedure. The rule and practice is that it is in the discretion of the government or the minister concerned to change a question into an order for return. Of course that discretion must be exercised wisely-

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Judiciously.

Mr. LAPOINTE (Quebec East):

[DOT]-and not abused. I remember a former prime minister reminding me that he was the judge as to that.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Well, I am not so sure I agree with that. However we will not debate the point at length.

Mr. GILLIS:

For a copy of all correspondence, letters, telegrams and other documents relating to a request for a conciliation board for employees of the Sydney and Louisburg Railway, made by District 26 of United Mine Workers of America.