MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether, in order to prevent confusion, he will say whether the Mr. F. J. Robertson, journalist, whose name appears upon the list of lecturers under the National Insurance Act for Scotland, is the same as a gentle- 544 man of a simliar name and initials who is a prominent member of the Young Scot Society, or whether he is the same gentleman who acted as a Liberal election agent, or the same as another gentleman who was a Free Trade lecturer; and, if not, in what branch of journalism is he employed?
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTBefore the hon. Gentleman replies, may I ask him to state in his reply, in order to prevent confusion, whether the Mr. Byers Black, whose name appears in the same list—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must give notice if he refers to some other person.
§ Mr. MASTERMANI am informed that the lecturer referred to is a member of the Young Scots Society, that he has lectured upon Free Trade, and that although not a political agent he has in the past acted as an. election agent for a Liberal candidate; that he has not himself been a candidate for Parliament; that he is a member of the Town Council of Edinburgh, a writer of distinction in various newspapers, and appears to be in every way qualified for the position which he at present occupies.
MARQUESS of TULLIBARDINEIn order to prevent confusion, will the hon. Gentleman give a list of the lecturers and their antecedents? May I add that I had no intention of reflecting upon the capacity of this individual.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs not Mr. Robertson also secretary of the Knox Club in Edinburgh, and is he not at the present moment employed in propaganda in connection with that club, lecturing and holding meetings in order to bring about the nullification of the Ne Temere decree, and in view of that fact will the hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of transferring the services of Mr. Robertson to lecture in Belfast?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Secretary to the Treasury cannot be expected to know the life history of this gentleman.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTHave the Insurance Commisioners in Scotland appointed any ex-Tory candidates to act as lecturers for the Insurance Act, and is it a more heinous offence to be a Young Scot or a Tory candidate?
§ Mr. MASTERMANEach Member must judge of that for himself. It is a fact that an ex-Tory candidate has been appointed.
§ Viscount CASTLEREAGHasked what is the proportion to population of the 545 official lecturers on the Insurance Act in England and in Ireland respectively?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThere are fifty-three English and twenty-five Irish lecturers; in England one to about 635,000, in Ireland one to about 175,000.
§ Mr. EUGENE WASONCan we have the figures for Scotland?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI shall be glad to give them, if possible.