§ 61. Commander BELLAIRSasked the Prime Minister, in regard to the wide terms of reference to the Royal Flying Corps Committee, whether he is aware that there is a likelihood of serious loss to the country if General Sir David Henderson and other officers have to be in attendance on the Committee and constantly furnishing it with documents covering so wide a field; whether, in the public interest, the charges made by the hon. Member for East Herts on 28th March, which led to the offer of the Committee, will by an instruction to the Committee be at once investigated and an interim Report submitted; and whether the Government will 1813 so amend the terms of reference as to empower the Committee to decide if it would be in the public interest to proceed further with its investigations during this critical stage of the War?
§ The PRIME MINISTERThe Committee are fully alive to the desirability of saving the time of General Henderson and others as far as this can be done without prejudice to the inquiry. I understand that there are other charges, covering to some extent the same ground as those made by the hon. Member for East Herts, and all these matters must receive full investigation. While the submission of an interim Report is not impossible, it is not considered likely that by that means any appreciable saving of the time of Sir D. Henderson or of the officials or officers of his Department would be affected. The terms of reference do not, I think, require any amendment, and, now that the inquiry has been started, it is not intended that it should be concluded until all the charges made have been investigated.
§ Mr. BILLINGIn view of the fact that the Committee has proved a farce, will the right hon. Gentleman give this House an assurance that a properly constituted Committee will be appointed to investigate the charges?
§ The PRIME MINISTERA properly constituted Committee has been appointed, and those who have charges to make should make them before it.