§ 59. Wing - Commander Grant - Ferrisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is in a position to make any further statement regarding his proposal to extend the scope of his inquiry into the administration of the Watch Committee of the Council of the City and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, so as to enable further allegations reflecting on the administration of branches of the Civil Defence Services to be investigated.
§ Mr. H. MorrisonYes, Sir. I am satisfied, as a result of the preliminary inquiries to which I referred in my reply 1400 to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Mr. Ivor Thomas) on 16th December last, that it would be desirable in the public interest to widen the scope of the proposed inquiry so as to enable further allegations reflecting on the administration of branches of the Civil Defence Services to be investigated, and the Council of the City and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whom I have consulted, concur in my view. I am also satisfied that it would be desirable that this inquiry should be held in public, and that there should be power to compel the attendance of witnesses and to take evidence on oath. I accordingly propose that the inquiry shall be held by a tribunal to which the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921, will be applied, and the necessary Resolution for this purpose will be submitted to each House of Parliament at the earliest opportunity.