§ MR. MARKHAM (Northamptonshire, MansfieldTo ask the hon. Member for Mid. Derby, as Chairman of the Kitchen Committee, whether the practice has always been to treat the dinner bills of Members as private; whether he is aware that recently a member of the Kitchen Committee instructed the clerks to 1326 search the back files for a particular dinner bill of a Member which had been the subject of public discussion; whether this examination was made by his authority; and, if not, will he issue orders to prevent the repetition of any similar investigation.
(Answered by Sir Alfred Jacoby.) In reply to my hon. friend it is the practice of the Kitchen Committee to treat dinner bills of Members as private. If any breach of this rule has taken place it is without my authority. I have given strict orders that no Member's dinner bill is to be subject to investigation.