HC Deb 14 March 1901 vol 90 cc1603-4
COLONEL KENYON SLANEY (Shropshire, Newport)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury a question of which I have given him private notice—namely, Whether Ida attention has been called to the statement published in The Times to-day, purporting to give a full account of the proceedings of and the papers submitted to the Civil List Committee at I heir meeting yesterday: whether those proceedings and papers were not strictly confidential; and, if so, whether he can tell the House from what source such information has been obtained.

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

My attention has been called to this incident. I regard it as in the highest degree deplorable and discreditable to the channel through Which this communication was given to the public press.

MR. T. M. HEALY

As this is a purely English Committee, will the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of making it a purely Irish Committee?

MR. PIRIE

I wish to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if he intends to take any steps to discover the channel through which this communication got to The Times, or to take any steps against the paper for publishing it?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I am afraid I nave no machinery at my disposal for carrying out the investigation Which the hon Gentleman suggests.

MR. BARTLEY

May I ask whether the document was not marked "private and confidential," and whether a similar private and confidential document was not published a short time ago—the Report of the Telephone Committee—in the same journal?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

I believe I am right in saying that copies of the document which has been made public were marked "private and confidential." They were strictly limited in number, and were given only, as I understand, to members of the Committee.

*SIR CHARLES DILKE

Will the right right hon. Gentleman take similar steps to those taken in the case of a confidential scheme which got into a newspaper a good many years ago, which led by a careful examination of misprints to fixing the responsibility and to the printing contract being taken away from the firm?

MR. LDMIND ROBERTSON (Dundee)

Will the right hon. Gentleman consult the law officers as to whether the Official Secrets Act does not apply?

MR. A. J. BALFOUR

Perhaps the hon. and learned Member will put a question himself to the law officers, and give notice of it on the Paper.