§ 44 and 53. Sir Frank Sandersonasked the Minister of Health (1) why his Ministry has made available the data collated for the purposes of their inquiry by the Departmental Committee on Valuation for Rates to Professor J. R. Hicks, who has now written a book under the title of The Problem of Valuation for Rating;
(2) whether he is aware that his predecessor's promise, made in the House on 4th April, 1940, that the Report of the Departmental Committee on Valuation for Rates would be published as soon as practicable, has not been implemented; and if he now proposes to publish this Report.
§ Mr. WillinkThe returns containing the data to which my hon. Friend refers were collected by my Department for their own purposes as well as for those of the Departmental Committee, and it was considered that a summary of them would be of use to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, which was engaged on a number of studies of various aspects of public finance. As regards the Committee's Report, I have come to the conclusion that though, as stated in the reply given to him by my predecessor on 21st January, 1943, conditions have materially altered since the Report was drafted, there would be advantage in publishing it if only to indicate the nature of the problem and I am taking steps to do so.
§ Sir F. SandersonIs my right hon. and learned Friend aware that to withhold the Report of a Committee and at the same time to hand that Report to one man for the purpose of publishing a book is against the general wish of this House and offends against the very foundations of democratic government?
§ Mr. WillinkNo, Sir; but my hon. Friend will be glad to hear that the Report is now going to be published.