§ 12. Mr. Stokesasked the Minister of Information what position and rank in his Department are held by Sir Charles Hambro, Lord Bearsted, Captain Lionel Montague, Mr. Brien Clarke and Mr. H. Sporborg; how much they are paid; whether these salaries are subject to Income Tax; and whether they are supplied with the use of motor-cars at the expense of his Department?
§ Mr. BrackenI regret I cannot give the hon. Member any information.
§ Mr. StokesMay I ask whether these gentlemen are employed in my right hon. Friend's Department and whether he considers that Directors of the Bank of England and oil magnates are the kind of people likely successfully to perform the work they are asked to do?
§ Mr. BrackenThe hon. Gentleman has made a positive statement in his Question 212 that these gentleman are employed in the Ministry of Information. They are not, and never have been. The hon. Gentleman knows that it is his duty to ensure that when he makes statements in Questions they are reasonably accurate. May I add that, if he goes on like this, he will dim his reputation for accuracy?
§ Mr. StokesMay I ask my right hon. Friend in what Department these gentlemen do operate, as I have tried three Departments, and they all say that they do not belong to them?
§ Mr. BrackenI am Minister of Information, but I cannot remember the names of everyone employed in the Civil Service.
§ Sir H. WilliamsAre they not employed by the Ministry of Economic Warfare?