§ Mr. MALCOLMasked the Prime Minister (1) whether he considers that the important Memorandum written by General Sir Ian Hamilton for the information of the Secretary of State for War, and included in that right hon. Gentleman's recent book on Compulsory Service, is of sufficient importance to publish with or apart from Admiral Wilson's Memorandum as a Parliamentary Paper; and, if so, whether he will order it to be so published? And (2) whether the privilege of publishing official and semi-official information by contract with a private firm and obtaining a royalty therefrom belongs exclusively to the Secretary of State for War, or whether all Ministers of the Crown are entitled to place documents, drawn up in their respective Departments, on the public market without issuing them as Parliamentary Papers or circulating them to Members of Parliament?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)In reply to these questions I may say that General Sir Ian Hamilton's memorandum, unlike the notes containing the Admiralty 1045 view of invasion, was in no sense official, and I know of no precedent for publishing such a document as a Parliamentary Paper. The remaining question, therefore, does not arise.