§ 3. Mr. MACMASTERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs who are the members of the Contraband Committee; and of what services are they representative?
§ Sir E. GREYThe Contraband Committee consists of a chairman, who, as I have already stated, is my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Leamington; of Captain Longden, R.N., representing the Admiralty, assisted by Lieutenant Arnold-Forster, R.N.V.R.; one representative of the Foreign Office, Mr. G. S. Spicer; one representative of the Board of Trade and Customs, Mr. H. Booth; and one of the Procurator-General's Department, Mr. Shearman.
§ Mr. MACMASTERDoes the Committee fall under the jurisdiction of the new Minister of Blockade?
§ Sir E. GREYCertainly it is one of the Committees—it will continue to perform its functions in the same way—whose executive action will be supervised and co-ordinated with that of other Committees by the new arrangement.
§ Mr. MACMASTERWill it be exempt from the condemnation of the new Minister of Blockade, who said a few days ago that he loathed all Committees, and if there was only one Committee in the world it would be one Committee too many?
§ Sir E. GREYWe are already committed to the machinery of Committees for dealing with these questions. Each one, as far as I know, is performing its functions extremely well, and it would be very undesirable, and I believe that is the opinion of my Noble Friend also, that a Committee now in existence and performing its duties as well as it does should be disturbed.
§ Commander BELLAIRSThe right hon. Gentleman mentioned Lieutenant Arnold Forster, R.N.V.R., as making two representatives of the Admiralty. Is it the case that Lieutenant Arnold Forster is the secretary and not a member of the Committee?
§ Sir E. GREYI was asked what the composition was and it was given me in this form. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman will give me notice of that, I will inquire whether there is anything in that point.