§ MR. A. F. JEFFREYS (Hants,) BasingstokeI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, if he can explain how the interim Report of the Royal Commission came to be printed in the newspapers several days before it was circulated to Members of this honourable House?
§ MR. F. A. CHANNING (Northampton, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the fact that the interim Report of the Majority of the Royal Commission on Agriculture has been communicated in advance to the Press before the Blue-book containing this Report with separate Reports of other Members of the Commission was circulated; and whether he will take steps to prevent such occurrences as to Royal Commissions in the future?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYsaid: I am aware that the contents of the Reports appeared in the newspapers before the Blue-book was actually circulated to Members of this House. I am making inquiries, but have not succeeded as yet in obtaining any information as to how this happened.
§ MR. G. LAMBERT (Devon, South Molton)Will the right hon. gentleman inquire why it was that the Report of the Majority was published first in the newspapers?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYThat, Sir, I think is the particular inquiry I am to make. I sent on the Report presented to me, and am entirely at a loss to know how it happened.