HC Deb 20 March 1917 vol 91 c1735
Mr. SWIFT MacNEILL

(by Private Notice) asked the Leader of the House whether in the White Paper issued as a supplement to the mutilated Report of the Dardanelles Commission, the paragraphs called. Notes are in the very words of the excised portion of the full Report, or are they paraphrases or glosses of those excised portions?

Mr. BONAR LAW

The notes circulated as a White Paper are in some cases the exact words of the Report, and in others paraphrases of them.

Mr. MacNEILL

Is there any parallel in the whole history of Parliament of glosses and paraphrases being given to the House of Commons in reference to a Report ordered by the House to be presented to it?

Mr. BONAR LAW

I can give no other answer than the one I have given many times on the same question.

Mr. MacNEILL

It is said in the White Paper that the Government authorises the issue of these Notes. Who in Heaven's name authorised the Government?

Mr. BONAR LAW

I mentioned in the House of Commons that we intended to take that course, so that, at all events, we have that assent for what we have done.