§ MR. ROCHEI beg to ask the Chief Secretary, in accordance with private notice, whether, having regard to the Answer he gave on Monday, based on the report of a county inspector of constabulary—an Answer impugning the veracity of a Member of the House—he will read aloud to the House the later report that he has received from the inspector, so as to give to it the same publicity as that given to the first statement.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKERI doubt whether it would be in order to read aloud an Answer which has already been printed and circulated with the Votes this morning. It would not be desirable to give Answers a second time in this way.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDThe matter is of the gravest importance, as it involves the responsibility of the Chief Secretary for repeating false information supplied to him and impugning the veracity of an hon. Member. The question is not whether the right hon. Gentleman will read his printed Answer to the House, but whether he will read the report from the police which the right hon. Gentleman has now received, and which bears out in substance and almost in detail the statement of the hon. Member for East Galway. The right hon. Gentleman is asked to do so in order to give as much publicity to this second report as to the 772 false statement to which, inadvertently, no doubt, he gave currency the other day.
§ MR. WALTER LONGI can only deal with this matter by the consent of the House. The case has been put in a somewhat unfair way as regards my Answer. I repudiate the suggestion that I have communicated false information to the House. I communicated the report I received from the police.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI made no personal accusation.
§ MR. WALTER LONGYesterday a Question was placed on the Paper by the hon. Member asking whether further information had been received. That Question was not asked, and I received no intimation that it was desired to postpone it. I had, therefore, no alternative but to follow the rules of the House and circulate my Answer with the Votes. I cannot now read again an Answer based entirely on the report of the county inspector, but I agree that, where the personal veracity of an hon. Member is concerned, it is desirable that the utmost publicity should be given to any statement on the subject. If the hon. Member will put a Question on the Paper, so that I may deal with it, I will take any opportunity within the rules of the House to see that the utmost publicity is given to my Answer.
§ MR. JOHN REDMONDI understand that the right hon. Gentleman will read the inspector's report?
§ MR. WALTER LONGThere must be no misunderstanding. My business is to make a reply for which I am wholly responsible. I base that reply on the information which I receive from the members of the Executive Government; but it is within my discretion whether I read the reports that I receive or not.