HC Deb 29 November 1917 vol 99 cc2310-1

The registration officer may at the request of any person interested, or if he thinks fit without such request, on the consideration of any claim or objection or other matter require that the evidence tendered by any person should be given on oath and may administer an oath for the purpose.

Sir G. YOUNGER

I beg to move, at the end of Rule 35, to insert the words,

"A registration officer may require any person to attend and give evidence for the purpose of proving or disproving the right of any person to be registered or to produce documents, and any person who, after the tender to him of a reasonable amount for his expenses, fails to attend, or who fails to answer any question by the registration officer, or to produce any document required, shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds, which penalty shall be recoverable."

This is obviously very necessary in order that the registration officer may obtain evidence and necessary documents.

Mr. HEALY

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. FISHER

I would ask my hon. Friend to consider whether the object of his Amendment is not dealt with under Rule 31, which provides that

"The registration officer may require any householder or any person owning or occupying any land or premises within his area, or the agent or factor of such person, to give, in the prescribed form, any information in his possession which the registration officer may require for the purpose of his duty as registration officer; and if any person fails to give the required information, or gives false information, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds."

I think that would meet my hon. Friend's point. If it is not covered by that rule, it is covered, I think, by the regulation which provides that if anyone wishes to establish a claim or objection and the registration officer desires that certain evidence shall be given in connection with the establishing of the claim or objection, the registration officer has it in his own hands to obtain that evidence. He is in command of the situation.

Mr. HEALY

Rule 31 is preliminary to the preparation of the lists. The Amendment deals with quite a different matter, namely, with a hearing of evidence. Under Rule 31 you simply get a statement, but under this Amendment you get the sworn testimony of a person viva voce and subject to examination and cross-examination. There is no effective Court which can discharge its duties properly without the form of subpœna which is provided for by the Amendment.

Mr. WATT

I hope the right hon. Gentleman will adhere to his decision to reject this Amendment and to leave the point to be covered by the regulation to which he has referred. Rule 31 enacts that the registration officer can only ask questions which bear upon the purpose of his duty, but this Amendment is very wide and enables the registration officer to ask any questions he likes. It is very wide, and some of us can easily imagine questions that might be very awkward to answer, but which the registration officer would be entitled to ask under this Amendment, whether they come within his jurisdiction or not.

Amendment negatived.