§ 26. Mr. LANE-FOXasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his intention to appoint any further secret committees of inquiry into other sources of wealth besides that from land, seeing that land is not now the chief source of wealth in this country?
§ Major ARCHER-SHEEBefore the question is answered, may I ask whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that a Committee of the nature described in the question is actually being formed now, and whether it will meet with his approval?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI do not know to what the hon. Gentleman is referring. T will refer the hon. Member (Mr. Lane-Fox) to the answer that I gave on 15th October to a similar question by the hon. Member for East Nottingham.
§ Mr. LANE-FOXIs the reason for that answer that from his point of view the right hon. Gentleman is satisfied that the appointment of such a secret Committee is a gross blunder?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI really do not know what is the premiss on which the hon. Member draws that inference.
§ Mr. WATTIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Land Union is prosecuting secret inquiries from directors of friendly societies?
§ 29. Mr. PRETYMANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any information in his possession showing that the Land Union is carrying out a land inquiry on similar lines to that of his unofficial Committee?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI was referring, on the occasion that the hon. Member has in mind, to the secret investigation that the Land Union carries on into the methods of land valuation.
§ Mr. PRETYMANMay I ask what the right hon. Gentleman means by secret inquiries into the methods of land valuation?
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEI mean investigation which is carried on privately, and I may remind the hon. and gallant Gentleman when I asked for the names in a certain case he refused to give them, and I followed the precedent since.
§ Mr. PRETYMANMay I ask you, Sir, whether there is not some protection for hon. Members when a question is put, as a question was put the other day, to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and when the reply is that it was a falsehood—that is the expression which was used?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe use of that word when applied to the statement of an hon. Member is out of order. When an hon. Member accuses a Minister of stating falsehoods he cannot claim the protection of the Chair.
§ Mr. PRETYMANOn a point of Order. May I ask you whether that was not the exact expression used by the Chancellor of the Exchequer himself in reference to the statement made by my hon. Friend behind me, the absolute statement that the statement was an utter falsehood.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not know whether the hon. and gallant Member was here or not on that occasion, but the matter was dealt with at once by me, and it was shown clearly that the statement did not apply to the statement of the hon. Member for Warrington, but to a report in a newspaper from which he had quoted.
§ Mr. LLOYD GEORGEIf I may add a word, I stated that I was not charging the hon. Gentleman with falsehood in the matter, but only the Press reports.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe matter was dealt with on the spot.