§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury why the Commissioners of Woods and Forests have failed to supply information to the Auditor General to enable him to report to Parliament the net financial result of farming the Crown lands in hand, as desired by the Committee of Public Accounts and the Treasury; and whether he will call for such information and lay it upon the Table?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTThe Commissioners of Woods have represented to the Treasury that in their opinion there are strong reasons against the publication in any form of the information asked for by the Comptroller and Auditor General; and in view of this opinion, the force of which the Treasury are prepared to admit, they think that, before any further action is taken in the matter, it will be best that the Commissioners should have an opportunity of explaining their views to the Public Accounts Committee, when the Commissioners' accounts and the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon are under the consideration of the Committee.
§ MR. HANBURYWill the right hon. Gentleman state the reasons given for the objection?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTI only know at present that they declare the reasons against the publication are very strong.