§ 53. Sir H. Williamsasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why no explanatory memorandum was attached to the Emergency Powers (Defence) Finance Order (S.R. & O., No. 130, of 1944) having regard to its unintelligibility.
§ The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Sir John Anderson)The Order is question is necessarily technical, and I share my hon. Friend's feeling that it makes difficult reading. I must, however, explain that an Order of this type has been in force, with changes of detail, since October, 1941. The re-issue, in the present form, was made necessary by the Agreement with the French Committee of National Liberation, of which I gave details in my reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Kidderminster (Sir J. Wardlaw-Milne) on 8th February, the date of the issue of the Order. In these circumstances, it was felt that an explanatory memorandum was unnecessary.
§ Sir H. WilliamsHaving regard to the fact that the war correspondents will now be idle, cannot my right hon. Friend employ them to write these Statutory Rules and Orders?
§ Mr. LevyIs my right hon. Friend aware that a pledge was given to the House that where these Orders were not very intelligible explanatory memoranda would be given, and is it intended to free the other Departments from that pledge?
§ Sir J. AndersonNo, Sir; there is no intention of departing from any pledge. The primary purpose of an explanatory memorandum is to make an Order or Regulation intelligible to those who have to deal with it. In the view of the Government this Regulation is intelligible to 653 those primarily concerned, and a memorandum would not have made it easier to understand.