CLAUSE 167.—(Provincial Auditor General.) (Hansard, 21 May 1935)

§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL
I beg to move, in page 98, line 21, after "Province," to insert "and his staff."
This is a consequential Amendment to cover the staff of the Auditor-General of a Province in the same way as the staff of the Auditor-General in the previous Clause.

§ Mr. CHURCHILL
This Amendment gives the learned Solicitor-General the opportunity of answering the question as to how this was omitted. It is a very important point. Anything more ridiculous than to provide for the payment of the chief, whoever he may be, without providing for the payment of any of his staff can hardly be imagined. How much more of this is there in the Bill? Is it imagined that the Auditor-General call act like a disembodied spirit without the slightest secretarial or official assistance It is said that it was only discovered as an after-thought. It is very right and proper that it should be discovered. Indeed, we may admire and acclaim the efficacy of our parliamentary procedure which gives time for these Amendments to be made, but it seems extra ordinary in a Bill of this kind that these important officials have been left high and dry in respect of the means of providing for the salaries of the necessary staff without whom they cannot possibly do their duty. Surely the learned Solicitor-General will give some explanation. Perhaps I used the words I did just now too hastily—I hope I did. I trust he will be able to show that there was nothing careless or slovenly in providing for the payment of ministers without pro viding for the payment of the staff in any way from the revenues. -At present I rest under the unsatisfactory impression to which I have given voice, I hope precipitately, and I trust that the learned Solicitor-General will be able to remove that impression, in which case I shall be quite willing to withdraw the word "slovenly."

§ Mr. C. WILLIAMS
I wonder whether this Amendment is altogether consequential, because the last Amendment referred to the salaries, allowances and pensions payable to the Auditor-General's 967 staff and this one makes the Sub-section read: The provisions of the last preceding Section shall apply in relation to the Auditor-General of a Province and his staff. I think we ought to be told whether the words "and his staff" axe really in tended only to be consequential on a further Amendment, or whether they are consequential on the first Amendment and the whole Clause. If they are consequential on the whole Clause, the intention of the Government ought to be made clear.

§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL
I think my right hon. Friend spoke, perhaps, a little severely. I cannot believe that in the course of his long and varied political career he has never made any omissions or failed to get his first draft in perfect and final form. It was thought, I believe, that the staff was covered by the Civil Service provisions. There was, of course, never any question of officials not being paid. All officials, of course, will be paid under the general powers of the Bill, but some doubt was expressed as to whether this staff was covered by the Civil Service provisions, and therefore these words are proposed in order to make it clear. As regards the point put by my hon. Friend opposite, this is clearly con sequential in the sense that it has been found necessary to make special provisions for the staff in addition to the Auditor-General for the reasons I have given; otherwise they would not be covered by the Clauses with which we are now dealing.

§ The SOLICITOR-GENERAL
I beg to move, in page 98, line 23, after "India," to insert "and his staff."

§ Mr. CHURCHILL
I take advantage of this second Amendment, which relates to the topic of the conversation which has just taken place, to thank the learned Solicitor-General for the explanation which he has given. I think that that explanation fully justifies me in applying to the omission of which the Government have confessed themselves, I will not say guilty, but as having fallen into, a word less strong than "slovenly," I will, there 968 fore withdraw that word and substitute the word "inadvertence."