§ Mr. GODFREY LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Prime Minister (1) whether the Report of the Committee on Irish Finance will be published and, if so, whether it will be published in full, and (2) whether he will publish the names of those gentlemen who gave evidence before the Committee on Irish Finance?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI cannot yet say what the eventual decision as to the publication of this Report may be, but it cannot be made public at present. I cannot give the names of the witnesses who appeared before the Committee.
§ Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSONHas the Report been shown to any Members of the Nationalist party?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI decline to answer that question.
§ Mr. DENMANIs there any precedent for withholding from the House the Report of a Committee appointed with so much publicity to inquire into a matter of such general public interest?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Committee was appointed by the Government to undertake a purely confidential inquiry with a view to laying the foundation of legislation, and I think it would be entirely contrary to precedent to produce its Report before legislation either founded upon it or ignoring it has been presented to Parliament.
§ Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSONI did not hear the right hon. Gentleman's reply to my question whether this Report has been shown to any Member of the Nationalist party? Will the right hon. Gentleman kindly repeat it?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI declined to answer it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is the time for questions and not for appeals.
§ The PRIME MINISTERI will consider that.