§ Any Report of the Commissioners shall be laid as soon as may be before both Houses of Parliament, and the Commissioners may, if they think fit, make interim Reports: Provided always that the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Mesopotamia campaign shall proceed with all possible expedition to inquire with regard to the provision for the sick and wounded, and shall report the result of their inquiries on this matter before proceeding to the rest of their inquiry.
Sir H. DALZIELI beg to move, after the word "Commissioners" ["any Report of the Commissioners shall be"], to insert the words "and any Minority Report, if any."
It is obvious that if there is a Minority Report that the House should be in possession of it, and I hope the Government will accept the Amendment.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINI beg to move to leave out the words "before proceeding to the rest of their inquiry," and to insert instead thereof the words "as soon as they are completed."
I accepted in the Committee stage an Amendment moved by the hon. Gentleman the Member for East Mayo. The object of it was to direct the Commissioners dealing with Mesopotamia to inquire with all possible expedition into the provision for the sick and wounded, and to report the result of their inquiry in this matter before proceeding with the rest of their inquiry. 107 The Amendment was in manuscript, and I accepted it without seeing exactly what would be its effect. I communicated to the hon. Gentleman afterwards the suggestion in its altered form and as it is on the Paper. The result of leaving the Bill as it stands would be that supposing the Commission for any reason could not conclude their inquiry into the arrangements for dealing with the sick and wounded, they would be precluded from occupying the interval by going on with any other part of their inquiry.
§ Sir H. CRAIKDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean that that Special Report is solely to go before the Special Commission, or will it be published meanwhile?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have not yet received the Report, but, at any rate, I do not think that is a matter I can discuss on this Bill.
§ Amendment agreed to.