§ MR. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWEN (Kent, Tunbridge)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the fact that Robert Lewis, the bailiff of the Newcastle-Emlyn County Court, has publicly accused the Chief Constable of Cardiganshire of having made false statements with regard to the tithe disturbances last March in his recent Report to the Standing Joint Committee; 28 whether he is aware that at the last meeting of the Standing Joint Committee Mr. Willis Bund, Chairman of Quarter Sessions, moved that a sub-committee be appointed to inquire into these allegations, but the majority (consisting mainly of County Council members) rejected this, after refusing to hear Mr. Lewis's evidence; and whether, in view of the desirability of the truth as to the Chief Constable's action being elicited, he will cause an inquiry to be held by the Inspector of Constabulary, or by some other means?
§ MR. ASQUITHMy attention has been drawn to the charges brought against the Chief Constable of Cardiganshire by Mr. Lewis. I am not myself of opinion that the discrepancies between Mr. Lewis's account of what happened on the occasions in question and the account given in the Chief Constable's Report to the Standing Joint Committee are of sufficient importance to justify a formal inquiry, or are of such a character that there is any probability of their being cleared up by any inquiry that I could set on foot. I have not myself power to institute an inquiry on oath or to compel the attendance of witnesses or to require them to answer questions put to them. Mr. Willis Bund did move that a sub-committee of the Standing Joint Committee should inquire into the alleged inaccuracies in the Chief Constable's Report, but the Committee did not consider this necessary. Before coming to this decision they had Mr. Lewis's letter under consideration, but I do not understand that they had any opportunity of hearing him orally.
§ * MR. GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENBut is it not a fact that the Chief Inspector of Constabulary has to certify the Force to be efficient before the Government allowance can be paid; and does the right hon. Gentleman consider it can be so certified properly when the Chief Constable has been publicly accused by an officer of the law of making a false statement to the Standing Joint Committee; and when the Committee has refused to investigate the charge?
§ MR. ASQUITHsaid, the discrepancies in the information given by Mr. Lewis and the Chief Constable were very small, and had no relation whatsoever to the duty of the Inspector of Constabulary in certifying as to the efficiency of the Force.