§ 33. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he can obtain the particulars of the cost which will have to be borne by Oscar Slater in his recent appeal case; and, if so, whether he will give the information to the House?
§ Sir J. GILMOURAs it is not the intention of the Government to make any further payment to Mr. Slater, I see no reason to make the inquiry suggested in the question.
§ Mr. MACLEANThe right hon. Gentleman has already informed the House that this particular payment was made after taking all the circumstances of the case into account. Does he not think that this House is entitled to know what the circumstances were, and will he submit that information to the House?
§ Sir J. GILMOURNo, Sir. I have made it perfectly clear that this is an ex gratia payment.
§ Mr. MACLEANHow can the right hon. Gentleman make it an ex gratia payment if he does not know all the circumstances of the case?
Mr. HORE-BELISHcan the Secretary of State for Scotland say what objection there is to treating this man, who has suffered so much and so unjustly, with common fairness?
§ Sir. J. GILMOURI have yet to learn that he has not been treated with complete fairness.
§ Mr. MACLEANWill the right hon. Gentleman inform the House what the exact costs were now that he has informed the House that he has taken all the circumstances into consideration?
§ Sir J. GILMOURNo, Sir. I do not know what the exact costs were, and it is as open to the hon. Member to make those inquiries as it is for me to do so.
§ Mr. MACLEANAre we to take it that the right, hon. Gentleman did not take the House properly into his confidence in making his statement which led the House to believe that the Scottish Office had all the information at its disposal?
§ 35. Mr. MACLEANasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if any mention was made by the Scottish Office, when informing Oscar Slater that the Treasury had agreed to an ex gratia payment, that such payment was to be considered as including his costs in the action in the High Court of Justiciary, Edinburgh; and whether any letter of acceptance, sent by Slater, agreed to such a condition being attached to the offer of the Treasury?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe payment to Mr. Slater was expressed to be an ex gratia payment of the amount stated. There was no specification of any of the various elements which had to be taken into consideration in arriving at a decision as to the appropriate amount of the payment. The payment was tendered without stipulation, and was accepted without reservation.
§ Mr. MACLEANIs it not the case that the letter of the 4th August sent by the Scottish Office to Mr. Slater intimated that the payment was on account of his wrongful conviction and subsequent imprisonment, and that the amount was accepted upon that understanding and not as the right hon. Gentleman has told the House after all the circumstances were taken into account?
§ Mr. AUSTIN HOPKINSONDid the right hon. Gentleman take into account in fixing this compensation the average earnings of the gentleman in question in the exercise of his profession during the years prior to his conviction?
§ Sir J. GILMOURAs I have already explained to the House, the Government, in making this payment, have taken into consideration a great many different points of view, but this sum was given as an ex gratia payment to cover all the circumstances whatever they may be, and the Government do not propose to add to that payment.
§ Mr. MACLEANAs this matter has to come before the House in the form of a Supplementary Estimate, will the Secretary of State for Scotland pledge himself to provide full information regarding the circumstances which he has again told the House were taken into account before arriving at this particular sum, so that the House will be able to debate the Supplementary Estimate with all the facts at its disposal.
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe hon. Member will have the fullest opportunity when the debate arises.
§ Mr. MACLEANIt is the information which we want.
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe hon. Member will have the information as well as the opportunity.
Mr. ERSKINEIs it not a fact that nobody was more surprised at the amount of his payment than Mr. Slater himself?