§ MR. PROVANDI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he will agree to appoint a Select Committee of the House to consider the question of mail packet contracts for India, China, and Australia, and refer to it the tenders received in reply to the recent notices sent out calling for the same?
§ *MR. HANBURYThere are many objections to referring to a Select Committee of the House of Commons tenders received for a mail packet service, and the House has already a very large control over these contracts before they are concluded. An Inter-Departmental Committee, representing the Treasury, India and the Colonies and the Post Office, of which the right hon. Member for North Leeds is Chairman, has been appointed to make arrangements for the new contracts for the India, China and Australia Mail Services, and the tenders for these services, which have been recently invited, will be considered by that Committee when sent in. The hon. Member is of course aware that no mail packet contract is binding until it has been approved by a Resolution of the House, as I stated in the Debate on the Packet Service Vote in answer to the hon. Member himself on the 10th instant.