27. Captain BENNasked the Prime Minister what services are at present rendered to the State by the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; and when it is proposed that the appointment should cease?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the answer which I gave on the 9th February last, in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Chesterfield, and to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Hull Central on 13th February last-Captain BENN; Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that; circumstances have somewhat altered since the 13th February? Are we to go on paying indefinitely for services which are of a dwindling value?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am sorry to say that a good deal of the work has still to be done and it must be done by somebody.
Captain BENNHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to the announcement made by the Colonial Secretary yesterday, in which he explained that he was responsible for most of the Irish affairs and was responsible for the staff of the Irish Office?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Churchill)I said nothing of the sort. On the contrary, I said that it would be quite impossible for me to give general direction and supervision for which I am taking responsibility if I do not have the assistance of the Irish Office and its full staff.
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am responsible and I ought to have been in my place. I apologise to the House for not being present when the questions addressed to the Chief Secretary were called.