§ MR. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury why the Order in Council of the 15th August last, relating to the clerks in the Savings Bank, was not published, and who is responsible for its non-publication; and whether there are any other instances during the last 12 months of Orders in Council relating to the Civil Service which have not been published; and, if so, what are the dates of such Orders?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. JACKSON, Leeds, N.)There is no obligation to publish Orders in Council except by special direction of a statute. The Order in question was not published, because the Treasury did not think it necessary that it should be. The 1022 Treasury is responsible, and acted in the exercise of its administrative discretion. Having looked into the question, and finding that the Order may affect 400 men, I should see no objection, if there is any general desire for the publication of the Order referred to, to giving instructions for its being published. There were two other Orders affecting the Civil Service in the last year, but they were of a general character.
§ MR. PICKERSGILLMay I ask whether the Treasury were requested by the Post Office not to publish a Report?
§ MR. JACKSONNot to my knowledge.