HC Deb 26 March 1908 vol 186 cc1566-7
MR. BELLAIRS

I bog to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in view of the fact that much correspondence ensued with Messrs. Kynoch subsequent to the announcement of the terms of the settlement on 26th June, 1907, whether he will state in what way the settlement was modified through the correspondence; and whether the correspondence and the final terms of the settlement can be published.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.

The terms of settlement were not modified in any respect, and remain the same as I stated in the House on the 3rd of last July. The correspondence which has passed between Messrs, Kynoch and the Home Department related to the carrying out of the terms of the settlement, particularly to the question which of the blasting explosives under seizure contained mercuric chloride, and to the release from seizure of those explosives which did not contain that ingredient; also to the reassembly of the conference under the chairmanship of Lord Rayleigh. That conference re-assembled on the 25th of last month, and unanimously recommended that the blasting explosive containing mercuric chloride should be destroyed. In these circumstances, no useful purpose would be served by publishing the correspondence.