HC Deb 11 August 1898 vol 64 cc918-9
MR. COHEN

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that the North British Daily Mail, of 6th August, contained not only a verbatim report of the draft Report of the Chairman of the Telephone Committee, with the Amendments adopted by the Committee up to the close of their sitting on Friday last, but also a leading article on the recommendations stated, to have been decided on by the Committee; and whether, seeing that it is impossible that this information could have reached the London correspondent of the North British Daily Mail in time to be published and commented on in the issue of that paper on Saturady morning the 10th instant except it had been conveyed immediately after the close of the sitting of the Telephone Committee on Friday last, he has any means or clue to discover in what way this confidential document was communicated to this newspaper?

MR. HANBURY

Yes, Sir; the North British Daily Mail, published1 in Glasgow, contained on Saturday morning a verbatim copy of the draft Report, including the Amendments made at the sitting on Friday. I have no further clue to discover in what way the information was communicated.

MR. TOMLINSON

May I ask whether the Government have in contemplation the appointment of a Committee to investigate cases of this kind to ascertain how this thing is done, and to consider whether the publication of such confidential documents does not constitute a breach of the privileges of the House?

MR. HANBURY

The same thing has repeatedly happened this year—I think in the case of every important Committee which has sat—and I think it is certainly a matter which ought to be looked into.