§ 58. Mr. HARTSHORNasked the Prime Minister whether Mr. Andrew Rae Duncan, a Scottish solicitor, has been or is to be appointed to the position of Coal Controller; whether Mr. Duncan has ever been associated in any way with the mining industry; what are his special qualifications which justify the appointment; and what are the financial terms of his engagement?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Auckland Geddes)I have been asked to reply. Mr. Andrew Rae Duncan has been appointed to be Controller of Coal Mines. He has not hitherto 651 been associated directly with the coal mining industry, but the organising experience which he has gained as secretary to the Shipbuilding Employers' Federation, in my opinion, admirably qualifies him for dealing with the many difficult problems awaiting solution in the coal mining industry. It is proposed that Mr. Duncan's remuneration as Controller of Coal Mines shall be at the rate of £2,300 per annum.
§ Mr. BRACEHas the right hon. Gentleman either directly or indirectly attempted to get the views of either the coal-owners or miners as to the appointment of this gentleman as Coal Controller?
§ Sir A. GEDDESNo, Sir. The position of Coal Controller is now becoming one which it is eminently desirable that a man of legal training should occupy. As the House is aware, the Government have announced the intention of proceeding to nationalise the mineral rights. That involves most intricate and very difficult operations from a legal point of view, and it is in order that we may have at the Coal Control office a man with legal training that this gentleman has been appointed on a temporary basis as a Civil servant.
§ Mr. BRACEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman, as the responsible head of the administrative Department for dealing with output, what special qualifications a solicitor has for securing that output which the country must have?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThe right hon. Gentleman the Member for Abertillery is surely wrong in saying that the Coal Controller is responsible for output. [An HON. MEMBER: "Who is?"] The Coal Controller is responsible for the general administration and Regulations under which the Coal Control is carried on and also for the administration of the Coal Mines Control Act (Confirmation). In this case the question was whether the man was the most suitable, and in the opinion of the Government he is the most suitable man for this job.
§ Mr. BRACEThis is a very important matter for the nation, and may I ask the Leader of the House if he will give us an opportunity to raise a Debate on the appointment of this gentleman, which is wholly unsatisfactory?
Sir F. HALLMay I ask whether there were any other candidates for the ap- 652 pointment and whether their applications were considered before this decision was arrived at?
§ Mr. BONAR LAW (Leader of the House)As regard the question of having an opportunity for discussion, I fancy one will arise in the ordinary course and, if not, I shall be glad to consider it. I may say, in reply to the other question, that not only I but many other members of the Cabinet were aware that it was absolutely essential to get the man who seemed to us to be hest qualified to carry out the duties, and we are satisfied that he was the best man available.
§ Mr. BRACEI feel so dissatisfied with the reply from the Government that at the end of Questions I will ask leave to move the Adjournment.
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI would appeal to my right hon. Friend not to do so to-day because of the undesirability of interrupting the debate on Finance. I shall be very glad to do my best to give some opportunity for this discussion.
§ Mr. BILLINGHaving regard to the fact that this appointment involves an expenditure of £2,300 annually would it not be in order to raise the question irk the debate on Finance this afternoon?
§ Mr. T. RICHARDSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that some people attribute the present shortage of coal to two causes, the delinquencies of the miners and Government control, and chiefly to' Government control?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am afraid I can only repeat what I said before. The Government felt that the whole position, I will not say was unsatisfactory, but was anomalous, and when the recent Coal Controller resigned his post everyone of us, including the Prime Minister, was most anxious not to get a man representing masters or workmen, but to get a man whom we thought would be a capable man and who would be best qualified to carry out the work, and in the end we all thought Mr. Duncan was the best man.
§ Mr. BILLINGMay I ask whether it would be in order, having regard to the fact that this is a question of Government finance, to raise the matter this afternoon?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI think it could be brought in as an illustration of extravagance, if that is the object of 653 raising the matter; but I do not gather that it is. I gather that the objection is to be the personality and not to the salary.
§ Mr. BRACEIt is the whole system. If the right hon. Gentleman will allow me I would like to consult him and you, Sir, as to the best way to raise this matter, which is one of great importance to the public.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether the services of the two previous Coal Controllers were obtained without imposing any charge on public funds?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWYes; but really has that anything to do with the question? The House I am sure has always objected when the Government gave as an excuse that a man was not being paid. The only criticism which is really germane is whether we have appointed the wrong man.
§ Mr. HARTSHORNMay I ask if the right hon. Gentleman agrees with the statement of the President of the Board of Trade that in making this appointment it was not necessary to take into account the fitness of the man from the standpoint of securing adequate output at a cheap rate?
§ Mr. SONAR LAWI did not so understand my right hon. Friend's reply. In discussion he did point out to the House that there would be many legal questions, and in recommending and suggesting different names he felt as strongly as I did that the main thing was the quality of the man and not his previous history.
§ Mr. BILLINGHaving regard to the extraordinarily chaotic condition of the coal trade, will the right hon. Gentleman give an early opportunity to debate the whole question?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe right hon. Gentleman was himself a member of the Government, and he knows that in addition to the Law Officers there are some legal officers in all the Departments.
§ Mr. HARTSHORNCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us if the Coal Controller is not to be the responsible person on the question of output and prices whom do the Government regard as responsible, or is anybody responsible?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe Coal Controller in a sense is, but the head of the Department will be in this House, and must answer to this House and be responsible.
§ Mr. HARTSHORNIs it not the fact—
§ Mr. SPEAKERI would ask the hon. Member to put the next question [No. 59.]