§ 35 and 36. Mr. HADYN JONESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what method was employed by the industrial assurance commissioner of his Department to inform sections of the Press of the existence and contents of reports re- 1104 cently made by an inspector appointed under the Industrial Assurance Act, 1923, to investigate certain aspects of the affairs of the Scottish Legal Life Assurance Society and the Royal Liver Friendly Society; what newspapers or journals were informed, with dates; and whether copies of or extracts from these reports were supplied or lent by the commissioner's department to any daily or other newspaper and, if so, which; (2) whether his attention has been drawn to the recent publication in sections of the daily Press of extracts from the reports of an inspector appointed by the industrial assurance commissioner to examine into the affairs of certain industrial assurance companies and collecting friendly societies; whether he is aware that such reports represent an ex parte statement made by the inspector for the information of the commissioner only and that the offices concerned have no right to have their side of the case presented in them; and, in view of the fact that the use made of extracts from these reports in the Press has misled the public upon the questions inquired into and is liable to cause apprehension amongst the policy-holders in these concerns, whether he will take steps to prevent the premature publication of similar reports in future before the commissioner himself has had time to consider the reports and the steps he considers advisable to take thereunder?
§ Major ELLIOTNo report is made public before it has received the commissioner's adequate consideration. In the exercise of his powers under Section 17 of the Industrial Assurance Act, 1923, the industrial assurance commissioner may "issue such directions and take such steps as he considers necessary or proper to deal with the situation disclosed" in reports made to him under the Section. In his opinion the matters dealt with in the reports particularly in question concerned the rights of policy owners as to which it was vital that they should be informed as soon as possible. In the case of the report upon the affairs of the Scottish Legal Life Assurance Society the following newspapers were informed on 18th January, in reply to previous requests, that the report was available for inspection, the "Glasgow Herald," the "Glasgow Evening News," the "Daily Express." On the same date the Central were News Limited and the Press Asso- 1105 ciation Limited were informed that the report was available. In the ease of the report on the Royal Liver Friendly Society, the following were informed on 26th January, in reply to previous requests, that the report was available for inspection, "Daily Express," "Daily Herald," "Insurance Mail," "Liverpool Daily Post." On the same date the Central News Limited and the Press Association Limited were informed that the report was available. In each case complete copies of the reports were lent to a number of newspapers to whom facilities for inspecting the reports were given at their own request. I am sending the hon. Member a list of these papers with the information as to particular dates for which be asks.