§ General Sir IVOR PHILIPPSOn a question of privilege, Mr. Speaker. I wish to call attention to the fact that in the Press this morning there were extracts from the Report of the joint committee of this House and the other House on the organisation and methods of the Central Prisoners of War Committee. I understand that this Report was signed about ten days ago. I have made repeated attempts to secure a copy of this Report, but my attempts have failed. Although the Report is now in the public Press it is not now before Members of this House. I submit that this document ought not to have been handed to the Press until it was laid on the Table. I appeal to you to protect Members in this matter so that those Members who are particularly interested in this question should be able to get full copies of the Report and not have to rely only upon extracts that are given in the various newspapers. I may add that the Chan- 420 cellor of the Exchequer gave a special undertaking that there would be no difficulty about the printing or production of this Report, though it was an informal committee. I urged the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make it an official committee so that Members of this House who were interested in this question might have an opportunity of placing their case before the committee. We were not allowed that, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave his undertaking to this House, at my request, that there would be no difficulty whatever about the production of the Report. I submit that the-House has not been fairly dealt with in the matter, and that a breach of privilege has arisen.
§ Mr. SPEAKERWho has committed the breach of privilege? Have I?
§ Sir IVOR PHILIPPSNo, Sir. I submit that whoever sent this Report to the Press.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe Report was ordered to be printed last week by the other House. Therefore it became a public document. I presume that it is in that way that the Press have obtained it. Of course, I quite agree that this House ought to have a copy of it at the same time. I do not know whether any explanation can be offered as to why that course was not taken in this instance.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThis is the first I have heard of it. If my hon. Friend had' given me notice that he was about to raise it I should have been able to look into it. I can assure him that if he had asked that the Report should be laid on the Table I should have had that done at once.
§ Sir IVOR PHILIPPSI think it only fair in reply to that to say that I have applied to every official connected with; this matter—the Chairman of Committees, the Financial Secretary, and the hon. Member for the Central Division of Sheffield—I have been at them all repeatedly. I can also assure the right hon. Gentleman that I did not want to trouble him, as he had other important work, but I have mentioned the matter to all the officials1 connected in any way with this matter. The fact that the other Chamber has got it is a still further question of privilege. It should not be necessary for Members of this House to go to the other House to get information.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is what I have said. If it is laid in the other House it 421 certainly ought to be laid here, but I have not the smallest idea as to what the explanation is.
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Joint Financial Secretary to the Treasury)I have been trying to explain that the blame rests with me. The House will do me the justice to acknowledge that I did not try to hide that. I have been endeavouring to rise every moment to explain. I did give an Order in what was a somewhat novel form of procedure a week ago, but I find I gave it in a wrong quarter, and I am afraid that it is only to-day that I have given it in the right quarter. The document will be printed with all speed. Such blame as arises, attaches to me. I hope that my hon. Friend will be satisfied with this explanation.