§ MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)May I ask the Secretary to the Treasury a Question of which I have given him private notice—namely, whether his attention has been drawn to the publication in full detail in the Press of the report of the Telephone Committee, showing that one of the proofs corrected by the Committee on Friday last has been communicated to the Press, and whether some steps will not be taken to prevent the Times or other newspapers publishing confidential documents which certainly ought not to appear?
§ MR. HANBURYAs my honourable Friend is aware, it was actually an amended copy of our Report which was apparently got hold of by the Times and published on Saturday. That Report had only been amended on the previous day. Every possible precaution was taken by the Committee to guard against anything of the kind being done, because whenever we left the room, even for luncheon, we carefully had the doors locked. We have taken every possible step to ascertain how the filching of this paper could possibly have occurred, but hitherto without success. I can only say that in my opinion, and in the opinion 501 of the Committee, the practice complained of is becoming absolutely intolerable.