§ MR. BROADHURSTasked the Right honourable Sir Richard Cross, Whether he can inform the House when the Minority Report of the Royal Commission on the City Livery Companies is likely to be presented?
§ SIR R. ASSHETON CROSSWith regard to this Question, I may state that these Questions are usually addressed to the Secretary of State, who obtains the information, and not the Secretary to the Royal Commission. I am not aware that a Member of any Royal Commission is entitled to state anything in this House or elsewhere as to the opinions of any of the Commissioners until their Report is presented to the Queen. I have, however, received a letter from the Secretary to the Commission, and I am willing to state this. The Report and all the evidence connected with it will, no doubt, make a very large number of volumes; but the first volume containing the Report is in a very forward state to be placed in the hands of the Secretary of State. I can assure the hon. Member, as far as I am concerned, and as far as the Secretary is concerned, there will be no delay in the presentation of that volume containing the Report in consequence of the opinion of any of the Commissioners.