§ MR. E. H. PICKERSGILL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether, in reply to questions on Post Office affairs addressed to him in this House by hon. Members, he has given answers drawn up by some permanent official, in respect of which the Postmaster General has not been consulted?
§ MR. HANBURYThe replies which I have given in the House to questions on Post Office affairs have been either approved by the Postmaster General himself or have been prepared by some officer of the Post Office acting with the Postmaster General's concurrence and by his direction. On ascertaining, however, that one or two unimportant answers had only been seen by the permanent chiefs, I expressed the opinion that every answer should be carefully considered by the Parliamentary head of the Department, and I am now informed in all cases where the answer has been passed by the permanent officials only, so that I may then make special inquiry myself and approve or disapprove the reply. So many questions are asked upon the same day on which they first appear upon the Paper, that it must necessarily sometimes happen that there is not time to obtain the views of both the permanent and political chiefs of the Department, and it is only in cases of that kind that any difficulty whatever has arisen.