§ 57. Sir W. Smithersasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the resignation of Mr. Frank Chappell, late director of Production Efficiency.
§ Mr. H. WilsonI would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on 4th November to the hon. Members for Altrincham and Sale (Mr. Erroll) and for Moseley (Sir P. Hannon).
§ Sir W. SmithersIs it not the fact that before his resignation Mr. Chappell told Ministers that if 25 per cent. of the money being spent by his Department had been allocated outside Government control, the production would have been four times greater? Why is it that under a Socialist Government, if a man speaks the truth, he gets sacked or has to resign.
§ Mr. WilsonWhile I would desire to pay every tribute to Mr. Chappell for the work he has done inside the Board of Trade for the Production Efficiency Service. I can only say that if his views had prevailed on that organisation the 1718 hon. Member would have been even more unhappy about the situation than he is.
§ Sir W. SmithersThat is a matter of opinion.