§ MR. RAMSAY MACDONALD (Leicester)I beg to ask Mr. Attorney-General whether his attention has been drawn to the habit which has become prevalent in recent years of political organisations spending money during Parliamentary contests on behalf of candidates; whether the law officers have given instructions that candidates' official statements of expenses should be examined to discover whether these payments have been included; and whether it is proposed to draw the attention of the Public Prosecutor to the matter with a view to action being taken.
§ SIR W. ROBSONMoneys spent by a political organisation during Parliamentary contests are not necessarily illegal payments nor payments coining within the statutory maximum allowed to a candidate. In order that they may be so treated they must be shown to have been spent not merely during the election but also in the conduct or management of the election. There may, for instance, be payments for purposes which are part of the general propaganda of the political organisation itself and made entirely without 213 reference to the expenses of the election. Whether they come under one class or the other is often a very difficult question of fact on which the decisions are not very easy to reconcile. No instructions of the kind suggested have been issued, but if the hon. Member is aware of anything which can be supported by definite evidence I will certainly draw the attention of the Public Prosecutor to it.
§ MR. R. DUNCAN (Lanarkshire, Govan)Is any distinction made between political organisations and party organisations?
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal S.)And tea party organisations?
§ SIR W. ROBSONI am not aware of any distinction that could be drawn between political organisations and party organisations. Most political organisations are party organisations.