§ MR. CLAUDE HAYI beg to ask the Prime Minister under which statute the Postmaster-General has power to appoint a Minister assistant; and which statute empowers the Master of the Horse to sign official documents.
§ MR. ASQUITHLord Granard was asked to assist the Postmaster-General by the late Prime Minister, and was not appointed to do so by the Postmaster-General. With reference to the second Question, the Postmaster-General informs me that Lord Granard does not sign any official document which requires the signature of the Postmaster-General; and of course the Postmaster-General is responsible to Parliament for all that is 114 done in his Department. There does not appear to be anything in the arrangements which have been adopted that requires statutory authority.
§ MR. CLAUDE HAYinquired whether the right hon. Gentleman was considering the question of the appointment of a Parliamentary Secretary to the Post Office in view of the large increase in the work of that Department.
§ MR. ASQUITHI agree that that requires consideration, and it is under consideration in connection with the general question of the re-arrangement of Government offices.