§ MR. WALKER (Leicestershire, Melton)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Secretary of State is responsible to this House for his action in exercising a general control and supervision over the conduct of the business of the Crown Agents; and, if so, by what means this 290 House can exercise any control over the Secretary of State in this respect, seeing that he has declined to supplement the information which has so far been presented to Parliament by a detailed and explanatory statement of the accounts of the Crown Agents Office.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. CHURCHILL, Manchester, N.W.)The hon. Member is aware that either in connection with the Colonial Office Vote or on such other occasion as the rules of the House may allow he can criticise any and every action of the Secretary of State. As regards the latter part of his Question, and with reference to my Answer to a previous Question of his on the 31st of July,† I can assure him that there is no wish to keep back any information which would serve any useful purpose, but the Secretary of State was, and still is, of opinion that it was at present unnecessary to supplement the information which was given in 1904.