HC Deb 02 February 1954 vol 523 cc212-3
Mrs. Braddock

(by Private Notice) asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Raw Cotton Commission has been paying to redundant staff compensation for loss of office and whether, in view of the fact that the Commission has no statutory authority to make such payments, he will make a statement?

The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Peter Thorneycroft)

Yes, Sir. My attention has been drawn to the fact that certain payments have been made. I am inquiring further into the circumstances, and will make a statement to the House at the earliest opportunity.

Mr. H. Wilson

Would it not have been desirable that the President of the Board of Trade should have been in close touch with the Raw Cotton Commission and should have known all about this before it happened, instead of waiting for it to be brought to his attention? Secondly, since there is apparently illegal action going on, is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the result of this is to waste several hours of the time of hon. Members of this House, who have been quite hopefully discussing compensation schemes on the Cotton Bill, only to find that the position is prejudiced by this apparently illegal action?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I am in close touch with the Raw Cotton Commission. The House would do well to wait until I have looked into the facts of this case before I make a statement.

Mr. Gaitskell

Were the Treasury consulted before these payments were made?

Mr. Thorneycroft

That is the point of the question.

Mrs. Braddock

Can the right hon. Gentleman say when he will give us a statement, and whether it will be very early indeed because of the implications involved?

Mr. Thorneycroft

I hope to be able to make a statement this week.

Mr. H. Morrison

Are we to understand from the President of the Board of Trade that he did not know whether his own Department consulted the Treasury about this matter? I think he is responsible in a broad sense for the operations of the Raw Cotton Commission. Does he not know whether the Board of Trade, for which he is responsible, consulted the Treasury?

Mr. Thorneycroft

Yes, Sir. The Board of Trade consulted the Treasury. The point is whether the Raw Cotton Commission made these payments with authority or not.

Mr. Lee

On a point of order. It may be that we shall be discussing the Cotton Bill on Report stage in this House. We now know that compensation payments have been made on a certain scale. Will that preclude us from putting down Amendments on the Report stage which will alter the financial arrangements which now exist in the Bill?

Mr. Speaker

I cannot imagine that the rights of Parliament are in any way prejudiced by what has happened."