§ 59. Sir A. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for War whether he will arrange that copies of Army Council Instructions shall be sent to a Member of Parliament who asks for them?
§ Sir J. GriggIf an hon. Member is interested in some particular Army Council Instruction, I am always willing to consider a request from him for a copy of it and should not refuse it without good reason.
§ Sir A. KnoxDoes the Minister realise that when I asked his private secretary on the telephone to ask permission to give me a certain Army Council Instruction, it was refused?
§ Sir J. GriggPerhaps my hon. and gallant Friend will have a word with me afterwards.
§ Sir Percy HarrisWould not the Minister consider putting a complete set of Army Council Instructions in the Library?
§ Sir J. GriggNo, Sir, that would not be possible, because a great many of the Army Council Instructions are secret and are not for publication.
§ Sir W. DavisonIs the Minister also aware that I, too, was refused copies of an Army Council Instruction which had already been circulated to hundreds of officers? If Members of Parliament are not supplied on request with copies of Army Council Instructions with regard to matters discussed in Parliament, how can they be certain that such Army Council Instructions carry out the intentions of Parliament as in a recent case it was clear they did not?
§ Sir J. GriggI understand that my hon. Friend did have a copy of this particular Army Council Instruction.
§ Sir W. DavisonAs a matter of fact, I have not been allowed to retain it.