§ 37. Sir John Wardlaw-Milneasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will issue a list showing the names of the controllers of all the different commodities and, in such cases as these gentlemen were not previously Government officials, their business interests prior to their assuming their present duties and to what extent these interests continue?
§ The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Captain Crookshank)I have been asked to reply. In making these appointments the Government seek to take advantage of the special qualifications of those whose services are at their disposal. They are confident that those appointed will not allow any private interests they may have, or have had, to conflict with the interests of the public service. The decision in any individual case is, of course, a matter for the appointing Minister.
§ Sir J. Wardlaw-MilneMay I, in the first place, ask whether my right hon. and gallant Friend will publish the list which is asked for; and, in asking that, may I be allowed to say that, of course, I cast no reflection at all on any of these gentlemen?
§ Captain CrookshankI am sure that neither my hon. Friend nor anybody else in this House wishes to cast any reflection on gentlemen who are doing these great public services. As regards the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has appointed no controllers at all, and I said in my reply that hon. Members should ask individual Ministers.
§ Mr. Herbert MorrisonIs it not perfectly reasonable that hon. Members and the House should have the names and the qualifications of all these people without going to the bother of asking questions of each individual Minister?
§ Captain CrookshankThe answer to that is that replies have already been given by some Ministers to this very question.
§ Sir Percy HarrisIs it not possible that there are so many of these controllers that it is impossible to keep pace with their appointments and to know what they are, who they are, and what they do?
§ Mr. GallacherWould it not be possible to get their ages and to find out whether any of them are as young as the Minister of Shipping?