MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer do Her Majesty's Government take any steps to ascertain whether the grant-in-aid of £2,500 to the Incorporated Law Society is duly applied to its proper purposes; are they aware that allegations have been recently published against the society, and that the chairman of the Discipline Committee recently resigned his position; and will they institute an inquiry into the application of the £2,500 a year voted to the society out of public funds.
§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Sir M. HICKS BEACH,) Bristol, W.Accounts are annually supplied by the Incorporated Law Society to the Treasury showing the expenditure under the several heads which make up the cost of discipline. These accounts are carefully examined by the Treasury, and if any item appears to call for explanation 410 further particulars are asked for and furnished by the society. My attention was drawn some time back to certain allegations made in the press against the society; and before consenting to provision bring made in the Estimates for the current year for any grant to the society I personally inquired into the matters referred to and was satisfied with the explanations given. I am not prepared to propose any further inquiry.
MR. GIBSON BOWLESThe right hon. Gentleman says the accounts are examined by the Treasury. Would it not be more satisfactory to have them examined by the Controller and Auditor-General?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHIt is not usual in the case of grants-in-aid.