§ 56. Colonel GRETTONasked the Prime Minister if the President of the Board of Education is chairman of the Committee of the Government advising the War Cabinet on the control of the liquor trade; and if two members of the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic) and one ex-member are members of the same Committee of the Government?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to my hon. and gallant Friend on Monday last.
§ Colonel GRETTONWill the right hon. Gentleman state the reason for secrecy in this matter? Would it not give confidence to the public if they felt that the Government were being competently advised?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am sure it would be a very bad precedent to publish the names of the Government Committees who are advising the Cabinet. It is bad enough to have our proceedings criticised, but it would be worse to have them criticised in advance because a particular man is not particularly liked.
§ Colonel GRETTONDoes my right hon. Friend remember that he said on Monday that this was a Government Committee and not a Committee of the Cabinet?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI did not mean that it was composed only of members of the Government, at least, I did not intend that.
Colonel THORNEIs it a fact, as stated in the question, that two members of the Central Control Board are members of the Committee?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Central Control Board were invited to send members to the Committee and they served on it.
Mr. KENNEDY JONESIs it true that the ex-member of the Control Board on the Committee is Mr. Snowden?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNo. I will depart from my own rule. That is not the case.