HC Deb 20 February 1963 vol 672 cc419-20
6. Mr. John MacLeod

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if when appointing committees in future he will instruct them that no such undertaking should be given to witnesses that their evidence will not be published as was done in the case of the Mackenzie Committee.

Mr. Leburn

No, Sir. It is well-established practice that Committees should decide their own procedure.

Mr. MacLeod

Why is there necessity for secrecy? Surely there is no question of the security of the State being involved in the report of a public inquiry of this kind? Is he aware that the Report of the Mackenzie Committee is very important to Scotland and particularly to the Highlands, and surely the people of the Highlands should be able to know on what evidence the findings of the Committee were based?

Mr. Leburn

I think it was for the Committee to decide whether the evidence should be taken in secret or otherwise. I can imagine that some witnesses would be very ready to give certain views in private which they might not be ready to give if the evidence were taken in public.

Mr. Hoy

Will the hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that he will publish the names of those witnesses, whether personal or representing organisations, who gave evidence which has been suppressed? Does he realise that it follows from what he has said that if evidence is suppressed from the public in this fashion, it will also be suppressed from this House? What right has the hon. Gentleman, or any Minister, to give an assurance to witnesses tendering evidence to a public inquiry that that evidence will be denied to the House of Commons?

Mr. Leburn

It is not a question of suppressing evidence at all. It is merely that the witnesses were told that the evidence would not be published, and in those circumstances I do not think that we should ask for it to be published.

Mr. Hoy

May I have an answer to the first part of my supplementary question? If the hon. Gentleman will not publish the evidence, will he publish the names of those who gave evidence and whose evidence has been suppressed?

Mr. Leburn

I should like to consider that. I think that probably the Committee's Report gives that information.