§ Captain LOSEBY (by Private Notice)asked the Leader of the House whether a large proportion of the outstanding accounts with contractors to the Ministry of Munitions have been and are now being dealt with by a body of three highly-placed officials who have been responsible for their final settlement subject to an independent investigation by a specially appointed official, and audit by the Exchequer and Audit Department of the Treasury; whether these settlements involve many millions; whether on a recent occasion the head of the said highly-placed officials called together the heads 768 of ledger departments and accounts investigators and instructed them either to destroy or to conceal from the Exchequer and Audit Department material documents, namely, documents outlining the results of investigation; whether the said official in the presence of the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Munitions admitted that he had given an order to conceal the said documents from Exchequer and Audit; whether the said official is still being continued in his position, and has been entrusted with still further responsibilities in the matter of disbursing public money; if so, having regard to the vast sums involved in connection with the papers to be concealed and the importance of securing honesty and purity of administration in Government Departments, he will: (1) Immediately cause the suspension of the officials involved; (2) set up an independent commission or committee of inquiry with the fullest judicial powers?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am informed that the statements contained in this question have no foundation. Lord Inverforth has, however, appointed a Departmental Committee to inquire into the matter, and has invited my hon. and gallant Friend to give evidence before them. Pending the Report of that Committee, I can make no further statement on the subject.
§ Captain LOSEBYMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he realises that with a full sense of responsibility I am alleging the most daring attempt to destroy vital public documents; is he aware that these working papers to which I refer are in fact the sole records of certain transactions which ought to have been, although they in fact were not, entered upon the books, and is he aware that I have in my possession many sworn affidavits from people who were actually present when the order to destroy them was given; and is he also aware that I was present when, in the presence of the Minister of Munitions and the Parliamentary Secretary, this man acknowledged he had given the order to conceal the papers from the Exchequer and Audit Department, and in view of these facts does the right hon. Gentleman not realise that it is quite impossible for me to produce my evidence except before a transparently impartial tribunal?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNo. I fully recognise, and it is because I do recognise, the seriousness of these charges that I have said it is obviously not enough to make them without primâ facie evidence. If the House of Commons has not confidence that the Minister is incapable of such action as is stated, surely the least that can be done is that primâ facie evidence should be placed before- this Departmental Committee. [HON. MEMBERS: "No!"] It is surely not enough to make a statement. There must be some kind of primâ facie evidence, and, if a primâ facie case be given to me in any shape or form, I will undertake that it shall be thoroughly investigated.
Sir THOMAS POLSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there has been already an informal departmental inquiry into this matter?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWNo. I am quite certain that my hon. and gallant Friend does not make these charges without believing them to be accurate, but, equally, the Government cannot accept a mere statement as primâ facie evidence. If he will give, either to this Departmental Committee or to me, evidence which makes a primâ facie case, I will see that there is a proper investigation.
§ Captain LOSEBYDoes my right hon. Friend realise that I stated that in my presence and in the presence of the Minister and the Parliamentary Secretary, and other highly paid officials, this man acknowledged that he had given orders to conceal these vital documents?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI can only say that I have spoken to my Noble Friend, who says that there is no foundation for these statements—not for this particular statement, because I have never heard it before—and I do say that you cannot expect any Government to institute an inquiry on a charge of that kind without some primâ facie evidence to justify it.
§ Captain LOSEBYIn view of the answer of the right hon. Gentleman just given, I beg leave to ask to move the Adjournment of the House in order to call attention to a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, "an order given by a highly-placed official of the Ministry of Munitions to accounts investigators and head of ledger depart- 770 ments to destroy vital public documents, and, in view of the continuing danger, the urgent need of an investigation by a committee of unimpeachable impartiality with judicial powers into the circuits stances surrounding this order."
§ The pleasure of the House having been signified, the Motion stood over, under Standing Order No. 10, until a quarter-past Eight this evening.
§ Captain REDMONDIn view of the Adjournment having been carried on this Motion, I beg to state that on the Adjournment to-night I shall call attention to the resignation of the commandant and adjutant of a division of the auxiliary cadets in Ireland.