§ MR. COOPER (Southwark, Bermondsey)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any circular has been issued by the Committee appointed to inquire whether the price of meat is controlled by any combination of foreign firms, offering to allow persons who may desire to give evidence the option of appearing before the Committee or, if they so desire it, before its chairman and secretary only, without the disclosure of their names and addresses; 2144 and, if issued, whether he can say on whose authority this has been done and whether it is in conformity with the procedure of Committees.
§ MR. CHURCHILLI understand that no such circular as my hon. friend suggests has been issued by the Committee; but in view of all the circumstances of the inquiry the Committee have thought it right to give certain witnesses the option of giving evidence under a guarantee of non-publicity. The Committee have control of their own procedure, and are entitled to take such steps as they may deem necessary and desirable to carry out the inquiry which has been entrusted to them, I may add that I entirely concur in the course taken.