§ Mr. KIRKWOOD(by Private Notice) asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any information about the reported arrest and imprisonment of five ex-servicemen at Scaristaveg, South Harris, whether these men had been promised holdings on part of the farm of Scaristaveg, whether these men are not in receipt of unemployment insurance benefit or any relief from any public source, what provision is meantime being made for their wives and families and what steps he can take to expedite the provision of holdings in South Harris —which is in the Hebrides?
§ The LORD ADVOCATEMy hon. Friend only brought this question to my notice an hour ago. All I can do is to say that I will draw my right hon. Friend's attention to the matter at once and will have inquiries made. I did see in the paper of the conviction and sentence of these men last week.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODArising from that reply, which is perfectly true, are these women and children to starve until the right hon. Gentleman inquires into this business? The Lord Advocate is conversant with the whole of this business. These five men were promised this land, which they have taken, and the crime that they have committed, as stated in the Court, was that they went to work there, and now they have been thrown into prison.
§ Mr. BUCHANANMay I ask the Lord Advocate, in view of the urgency of this question of the care of the men's wives and families, whether he will take steps to expedite the inquiry, and if this question is repeated in two days' time, will he give us a report on what has transpired?
§ Mr. SULLIVANBefore the Lord Advocate replies, may I ask whether he wants the House to assume that these men have been arrested and imprisoned without his knowledge?
§ The LORD ADVOCATENo, Sir. I would not ask the House to do that at all. There is no doubt about the fact of their conviction and sentence to imprisonment last week. With regard to the supplementary question put by the hon. Member for Gorbals (Mr. Buchanan), he can put a question down and I will see that he gets an answer.
§ Mr. MAXTONDoes the Lord Advocate state that this prosecution was initiated by his Department?
§ The LORD ADVOCATENo, Sir; I did not say so.
§ Mr. MAXTONOn whose authority has it been initiated?
§ The LORD ADVOCATEThat requires notice.
§ Mr. MAXTONThe Lord Advocate says that he requires notice of a question whether he has done a certain thing or whether an illegal thing has been done.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat was not included in the notice of the question which was given to me. I think that question should be put down in the ordinary way on the Order Paper.
§ Mr. MAXTONI put it to you, Mr. Speaker, that the right hon. Gentleman says that he has no knowledge who initiated the prosecution in Scotland, or that he cannot answer the question without notice. As he is the person responsible for initiating prosecutions, are we to understand that this prosecution has been initiated without any authority whatever?
§ Mr. SPEAKERAll that I was saying was that that question should be asked in the ordinary way.