§ 58. Mr. W. BAKERasked the Postmaster-General whether the Report of the Committee on Inland Telegraphs has been received; whether any communication has been made to the Press; and how soon it will be laid upon the Table?
§ 57. Colonel WOODCOCKasked the Postmaster-General if he will give the date when the Report of the Hardman Lever Committee on Telegraph Service was completed; the reason why this Report has not yet been published; and on what date he expects that it will be made public?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI was going to refer the hon. Member for East Bristol (Mr. W. Baker), as regards the first and last parts of his question, to the answer to Question No. 57, in the name of my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Everton (Colonel Woodcock), but, as my hon. and gallant Friend is not here to put his question, perhaps I had better read the answer to it now. It it as follows:
§ The Report was signed on 12th January, I have already stated in reply to similar questions that it contains a number of detailed recommendations which are being carefully examined and which will certainly involve further consideration. I should have preferred that this should have been further advanced before publication of the Report; but in view of the evident wishes of my hon. and gallant Friend and other Members I am arranging to have it printed and laid next week. The answer to the second part of the question of the hon. Member for East Bristol is in the negative.
§ Mr. W. BAKERCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he has seen the column of news matter which purported to convey the contents of this Report which was published in the "Daily Mail," of which Sir Hardman Lever is a director, on the 6th of this month?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI regret that the hon. Gentleman should even appear by any innuendo to cast any aspersion upon Sir Hardman Lever. The hon. Member will see how entirely unjustified his statement is when he sees the Report, and when I tell him that what purported to be a forecast was wholiy inaccurate.