§ Mr. KERR-SMILEYasked whether, out of eight persons appointed by the Irish Insurance Commissioners as lecturers on the Insurance Act, only two are non-political appointments and the other six are persons nominated by or representing the Socialist-Nationalist party?
§ Mr. MASTERMANAs the hon. Member will see by reference to page 10 of the White Paper, Cd. 6095, the Irish Commission have appointed not eight lecturers but twenty-five. All of these appointments are non-political. I have never heard of the existence of "the Socialist-Nationalist party" in Ireland."
§ Mr. KERR-SMILEYIs it not a fact that one of the persons appointed was a sister of the election agent of the hon. Member for West Belfast (Mr. Devlin), while another—
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member should not introduce these personal questions.
§ Sir JOHN LONSDALEIs the hon. Gentleman prepared to state that no political influence was exercised in regard to these appointments?
§ Mr. MASTERMANCertainly.
§ Sir JOHN LONSDALEWill the hon. Gentleman take the trouble to make himself acquainted with the facts in connection with the appointments?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI do not understand what facts the hon. Member means. As far as I am able to find out the political or religious convictions of the persons the appointments of the Insurance Commissioners in Ireland have been made equally in proportion to the population among Protestants and Catholics, or with a rather larger proportion of Protestants than Catholics, and equally in proportion to the population from members of Unionist and Nationalist sections.
§ Sir JOHN LONSDALEIs the hon. Member aware that I can furnish him with information that the statement which he has made to the House is absolutely not in accordance with the fact?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI have not the slightest idea of what information the hon. Member is aware of.