§ 49. Mr. ASQUITHasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the fact that the Report presented by the Dardanelles Commission has now been published and passes under review, and pronounces judgment upon, the conduct of servants of the Crown, living and dead, instructions will be given for the publication of the evidence upon which the findings of the Commission purport to be founded; and whether as soon as may be thereafter, an opportunity will be afforded to the House for the discussion of the Report?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIn their Report the Commissioners state that they do not recommend the publication of the evidence because parts of it, to quote their exact words, "dealt either with naval and military considerations, or with the relations between His Majesty's Government and their Allies, which could not, without serious detriment to the public interests have been published."
In these circumstances the Government are not prepared to give instructions for the publication of the evidence.
§ Sir S. COLLINSWould it not have been better not to have issued the Report at all?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWAs the House knows, the Government, as we thought, 710 were bound to issue the Report in consequence of the Act of Parliament appointing the Commission.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLIn regard to the excisions made by the Government, would my right hon. Friend state who is the Minister responsible for those excisions?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLCan the right hon. Gentleman say who is the Minister who accepts responsibility for those excisions?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe excisions were made on the representations of, I think, three Departments—the Foreign Office, the Admiralty, and the War Office. The Cabinet is responsible for the excisions.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThen I understand that my right hon. Friend is the Minister who is going to deal with the question of the propriety of any of these excisions?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWindicated assent.
§ Mr. BILLINGCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether in any of these excisions there appears the name of any present Minister or any late member of the Government, or whether they refer purely to matters having no reference to them?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt must be obvious that I cannot answer a question of that kind, for it would be very easy to get exactly what the Report says.
§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the Statute constituting this Commission it is prescribed that the Commissioners shall make reports to the House of Commons forthwith? Is he also aware that those Reports are Reports in full, not bowdlerised Reports, edited by persons who have no responsibility for so doing?
§ Mr. G. LAMBERTWill there be an opportunity for the discussion of this Report?
§ Mr. PRINGLECan the right hon. Gentleman say why one passage excised from the Majority Report is allowed to appear in the Minority Report?