§ 35. Dr. ADDISONasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will furnish the House with a paper showing the instructions to those whom he has appointed to safeguard public interests in regard to the prices to be paid for aircraft supplies and the nature of the powers they are to possess?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI should like to take this opportunity of informing the House of the names of those who have most public-spiritedly consented to advise me in this matter. They are Sir Hardman Lever, Mr. P. Ashley Cooper, and Mr. H. G. Judd, whose high qualifications and wide experience in questions of this nature will be within general knowledge. I do not contemplate the issue of formal instructions to these gentlemen. I am sure that such instructions are unnecessary and might indeed limit their wide sphere of usefulness. They are already working in continuous touch with myself and my advisers, having access to all relevant papers, and I am satisfied that this is the most effective procedure.
§ Dr. ADDISONCan the right hon. Gentleman say how, with the best will in the world, these gentlemen can be effective unless adequate powers are at their disposal? What are the powers that he proposes to place at their disposal?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERTheir powers are to give me the same wise advice which they gave to the right hon. Gentleman, and I am not in the habit of getting men of tremendous experience and ability to advise me and then disregarding their advice.
§ Dr. ADDISONIs it not a fact that two at least of these three distinguished gentlemen were unable to give effective assistance to me until the Munitions of 1090 War (Amendment) Act had been passed by this House endowing them with adequate powers? What similar powers does the right hon. Gentleman propose to give them?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThat is quite a different matter. The question was whether I was going to invest these gentlemen with certain executive powers, and I said "No." They and I are perfectly satisfied that, just as in the particular case of Lord Weir, this is an admirable arrangement. What the right hon. Gentleman really proposes is quite different, namely, whether special legislation is needed at the present time. At the present moment I am satisfied that it is not. If I did think special legislation were necessary for any purpose, I should not hesitate to go to my colleagues in the Cabinet or come to Parliament, but I have no sort of evidence that any such step is necessary at the present time.
§ Dr. ADDISONIs it not a fact that neither the right hon. Gentleman nor any other Minister at the present time is equipped with powers which were found to be necessary when these gentlemen operated before, and, if so, why is he unwilling to take the same powers again?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe right hon. Gentleman is referring to war conditions, which are wholly different from those obtaining at the present time.
§ Dr. ADDISONNo.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI absolutely refuse to accept the suggestion of the right hon. Gentleman that the country and I are not going to be met in a reasonable way by the industry of this country, until the contrary has been proved.