22. Mr. FRED HALL (Dulwich)asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the whole of the evidence given before or collected by the Committee appointed by him to inquire into the land system will be made public as soon as its labours are concluded; if he can give the names of the officials who are assisting the Committee in their deliberations; and whether the 2170 services of any officer of any Government Department are being utilised in any way in connection with the work of the Committee?
§ 30. Mr. RAWLINSONasked how many paid agents are now being employed by the Land Inquiry Committee in connection with their inquiries?
§ 36. Mr. LANE-FOXasked whether any, and which, of the recently appointed Small Holdings Commissioners have been employed by his secret Land Inquiry Committee to collect evidence?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI am not aware of the names and number of the persons employed by the Committee. That is a matter wholly within the Committee's discretion, as is also the question of the publication of their Report. I can, however, assure hon Members that no Government servant is being employed by them.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYDoes the right hon. Gentleman include the Small Holdings Commissioners as Government servants?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGECertainly.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYDoes he say that no Small Holdings Commissioner has been employed by this Committee in making inquiries?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGECertainly.
§ Mr. RAWLINSONCan the right hon. Gentleman ascertain the figures I ask for and communicate them to me?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEPerhaps the hon. and learned Member will apply direct to them.
§ Mr. RAWLINSONTo whom may I apply?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI will supply the name of the secretary and the address of the office to the hon. and learned Member.
§ 31. Mr. RAWLINSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will state the names of those who are finding the money for the expenses of the Land Inquiry Committee?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEThis seems to me to be an essentially private matter.
§ Mr. RAWLINSONIs it the right hon. Gentleman who objects to giving the information or the members of the Committee who object to their names being published?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI think it is entirely a matter for them. If they choose to give their names, of course they can do so.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLThis is a private matter, but will the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether any of these gentlemen contributed £1,000 to dine with the Duke of Westminster?
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSHas it occurred to the right hon. Gentleman that the source from which this money comes would enable us to judge of the bona fides of this inquiry?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGECertainly, I should say so.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSIn order that we may judge will he not give the names?
§ 46. Viscount WOLMERasked the Prime Minister whether he will appoint a Royal Commission, a Departmental Committee, a Select Committee of this House, or some other impartial and open method of inquiry into the land system of this country?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)I must refer the Noble Lord to the answer which I gave yesterday to the question put to me by the hon. Member for South Wiltshire.
§ Viscount WOLMERDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that an open and impartial inquiry would be more likely to arrive at the facts of the case than a secret, partisan, and underhand inquiry?
§ Mr. WEDGWOODMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he does not think that we have had sufficient inquiry into this question, and whether the time has not come to act?
§ 48. Viscount WOLMERasked the Prime Minister if he will state why the promised announcement of the Government's land policy has been postponed; and whether he is in a position to state when it will be made, and by whom?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am not aware of any promised announcement 2172 having been postponed. The policy of the Government will be announced in due time.
§ Viscount WOLMERAre we to understand that the announcement that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech at Swindon was postponed owing to the crisis in the Near East was entirely without official foundation?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI know nothing about it.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the present proposals made by various Members of the Government have caused a great deal of insecurity throughout the country, and will he allay that feeling of insecurity at the earliest possible moment by announcing what the policy of the Government is?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI do not think the country is in any state of insecurity.