§ 35. Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he is aware that on the 11th March, 1920, the Air Council came to the conclusion that there existed a primâ facie case for appointing a Committee to inquire into the allegations of a certain aircraft firm to the effect that certain Government officials who by reason of their office received technical information from the company concerned had made improper use of that information in connection with patents subsequently taken out by them, and that they used their position to hinder the development of the company's work for other than reasons of public policy; and whether he will suggest to the Committee that their inquiry should be open to the public and the Press, and that such witnesses as the Committee may see fit to call should be allowed the assistance of counsel or solicitor if they so desire?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second in the negative. The object of the Air Ministry has been to ascertain in the simplest and most direct manner, not whether certain Government servants had acted illegally, because there was no question of this, but whether they had acted in such a way as to prejudice the interests of a private firm. For this purpose, a Committee was set by agreement, consisting of representatives of the Air Ministry and the commercial interests concerned under an independent chairman; and it was further agreed that their inquiry was to be without prejudice to the legal rights of any of the parties. Such a body was evidently never intended to exercise 1101 judicial functions, and I do not see my way to ask the Committee to change the character of the inquiry which has been entrusted to them.
The Controller of Patents, after a lengthy public hearing under the Patent Acts, has just decided that Mr. Mooney's patent was not infringed by the Government officer (Major Wylie), who took out a subsequent patent. It may be anticipated that the Committee at their next meeting will hold that this decision disposed of the first of the two terms of reference.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSHaving regard to the fact that all these allegations are made against officers of the Air Force, would it not be better in the interests of the officers themselves, as well as those who make the complaint, that the matter should be discussed publicly?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI do not quite see any sufficient reason to depart from the regular procedure we are adopting. If you were to have a public inquiry in every case where allegations are made against British officers, there would be hardly any means of getting through the business.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIs my right hon. Friend not aware that the allegations here were made by the Society of Aircraft Constructors, who alleged that there was a primâ facie case?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThey have their legal rights, and if they choose to make allegations of that character which infringe the law, they will be themselves liable to have these allegations tested in the courts.