§ MR. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will lay upon the Table of the House a copy of the evidence taken by the Procurator Fiscal of Hamilton, and the opinion on that evidence in respect to the Home Farm Colliery inundation; and, further, if he will with these lay upon the Table of the House the reasons of the Advocate Depute for declaring there was no ground for a prosecution in the Home Farm Colliery case?
THE LORD ADVOCATEI fear I cannot comply with the request made by the hon. Member for the production of the Papers. There was no evidence, properly so called, taken in the case, and there is no Paper at the Home Office which embraces the information and the advice given by the counsel for the Crown to the Home Office. I may state further to my hon. Friend that in this case, as in other eases, I, as Lord Advocate, am responsible for the acts of the Advocate Depute, and, in a case of such public importance, I can assure him that no action would be taken upon the 984 opinion of one of my deputes unless after inquiry I was personally satisfied that he had arrived at a right conclusion.