MARCONI COMMITTEE (REPORT). (Hansard, 13 June 1913)

§ Mr. GULLAND
I beg to move, "That this House do now adjourn."

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
Is the Home Secretary aware that the hon. Gentleman, who is a Member of the Marconi Committee, and who told us that the evidence would be available to-day, is mistaken, and that it will not be available until to-morrow? Under these circumstances, the Prime Minister, in his remarks to me yesterday, indicated that he thought it would be quite suitable to take it on Wednesday, provided the evidence was available to-day. Does he not think that it is rather too soon to take it, as the evidence cannot be published before to-morrow?

§ The SECRETARY OF STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna)
The facts are quite as the right hon. Gentleman has stated them. The Prime Minister thinks, however, that the delay between to-night and to-morrow is so slight that it would not prejudice anybody who wished to take part in the Debate. The opportunity that any hon. Member would have of studying the evidence is only limited by the hours of this evening, and in these circumstances, although the facts are strictly as stated by the right hon. Gentleman, the Prime Minister does not think it would be desirable to postpone the Debate, having regard to the desire expressed in all quarters of the House that the Debate should be taken at the earliest possible moment.

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
The right hon. Gentleman is wrong, I think, in saying it makes no difference—except a few hours. As I understand it, the evidence will not be circulated to-morrow. It will only be available to hon. Members who come down specially to get it. I would remind him also of the exact words used by the Prime Minister. He said this:— If my hon. Friend (Mr. Falconer) is right in saying that the evidence be available to-morrow, I should have thought that Wednesday should do for the commencement of the discussion."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 12th June, 1913, col. 1808.] It will be seen that the last words of the Prime Minister were conditional. He was not very sure at the time if we could get it to-day. I must say I think there is a great difference, considering the arrangements Members make for the week-end, in getting it to-day and getting it by special means to-morrow, which means that it will not be available for most Members until Monday. I think there is a great difference, and I am sure the Prime Minister would desire that the discussion should take place in a proper way and with proper means of considering the subject. It is for him to decide. I think it would have been better if the right hon. Gentleman had agreed to postpone the discussion.

§ Mr. McKENNA
I understand that 700 copies will be available for circulation to Members to-morrow morning.

§ Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN
Will they be circulated with the Votes?

§ Mr. McKENNA
Yes, it is our intention that they should be circulated with the Votes. I cannot give a pledge on that point because, as the right hon. Gentleman knows, it depends upon others as well as the Government, but we are informed that those comes will be circulated with the ordinary Papers to-morrow morning, and I think under those circumstances the right hon. Gentleman will see that the delay is so slight that it is not worth considering.

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
May I ask the view of the Prime Minister on the matter? I do not think I should press my point if the Prime Minister is determined to take the course which he suggested yesterday, but what I wish to point out is that if the hon. Member (Mr. Falconer) who is a member of the Committee was right in stating that the evidence would be available to-day, then in the right hon. Gentleman's opinion it would be reasonable to begin the discussion on Wednesday. We now know 2020 that it will not be available to-day, and as I understand the difference will mean that the evidence will only be available for Members who come specially to the House to get it. In that case the great bulk of the Members will not get it till Monday. The right hon. Gentleman has informed us that a large number of copies will be circulated with the Votes in the morning. If that is so, I shall not press the point further. But if it is found that they are not circulated with the Votes, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he will delay the commencement of the discussion?

§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Asquith)
I am told that there is every probability that they will be circulated to-morrow morning. A great deal of the evidence has been circulated, and it is only a very small part of it which has not been printed and circulated. Of the portion of the evidence which has not been officially published, hon. Members will have seen reports in the newspapers. The exiguous portion will be circulated to-morrow morning with the Votes.

§ Mr. BONAR LAW
But if it is not?

§ The PRIME MINISTER
Well, the right hon. Gentleman in that case will renew the question on Monday. I am of opinion that it is generally desirable in the interest of all parties that we should have this Debate as soon as we possibly can. In view of all the circumstances, unless there is a really serious discrepancy in what happens as compared with our expectations, I should certainly press that we should adhere to the proposal I made yesterday, and take the discussion on Wednesday and Thursday.

§ Lord ROBERT CECIL
I entirely agree that the sooner this matter is disposed of the better, from every point of view. But surely the right hon. Gentleman will also agree with me that it is a very important matter that every Member of the House should be in a position to form an impartial judgment on all the facts of the case. It is not only a question of those who desire to speak, but it is also one on which every Member of the House ought to be in a position to form an opinion. I think the right hon. Gentleman must have been slightly misinformed as to the amount of evidence which has yet to be circulated. There are about 10,000 questions which have not been circulated. The Report which we have in our hands 2021 does not make any reference to the particular question on which the conclusions of that Report are based, and owing to an oversight, for which I am in part responsible myself, so that I make no complaint of it, even the other draft Reports are printed without the references which they originally contained. That is an unfortunate thing. The hon. Member for Forfar (Mr. Falconer), the hon. Chairman (Sir A. Spicer), and myself, I am afraid must bear the blame of that unfortunate oversight, but as it is the result will be that if anyone wishes to satisfy himself as to the truth or falsehood of any allegations made in the draft Reports or the Report of the Committee as a whole, he will have to read the whole of the evidence. I merely put this fact before the Prime Minister for him to bear it in mind in arriving at a decision on the question.

§ The PRIME MINISTER
I am most anxious that the House should not come to any decision on this matter without being fully informed of the facts of the case, but I do think, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, that an early decision is of much importance.