HC Deb 05 March 1906 vol 153 cc93-4
MR. BOTTOMLEY (Hackney, S.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he will give the names of the members of the recent Redistribution Committee, with their official positions, if any, and the amounts paid to them respectively in respect of their services upon such Committee.

MR. JOHN BURNS

The members of the Committee were Colonel Johnston, C.B., R.E., late Director General fo the Ordnance Survey Department; Mr. Alexander Glen, K.C, and Mr. Howel Thomas, one of the principal clerks of the Local Government Board. The amounts paid to them as remuneration in respect of their services were—Colonel Johnston, £341 5s.; Mr. Glen, £320 5s.; Mr. Howel Thomas, £200.

MR. CROOKS

May I ask whether there are any more "soft jobs" like that going?

MR. JOHN BURNS

In the absence of evidence from the hon. Member that these were "soft jobs," he has no right to assume that those men did not give value for the money paid to them.

MR. BOTTOMELY

The House, then, was wrongly informed the other day, when it was told that no officials of the Local Government Board had received any of the £1,200 voted for the Committee.

MR. JOHN BURNS

It was suggested in the Question put to me that certain moneys included in the £1,200 had been improperly received for services not wholly rendered. I objected to that, and I have now given the actual amounts paid for services which, I am informed, were not only ably, but energetically rendered.

MR. J. WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)

Will the right hon. Gentleman give the House an opportunity of judging whether this money was earned by publishing the Report of these gentlemen?

MR. JOHN BURNS

I have already promised that this Report will be laid upon the Table on a very early date, probably to-morrow.