§ Q8. Mr. M. Footasked the Prime Minister whether he will appoint an inquiry to consider the proper timing of the publication of reports of courts of inquiry set up by various Government Departments.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. I do not think an inquiry is necessary.
§ Mr. FootThe Prime Minister says he does not think that an inquiry is necessary. Can he suggest any reason, other than that of the political convenience of the Government, why a recent report of a court of inquiry into busmen's wages which the Government received at the end of February is not yet published?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, I can give a perfectly good reason. That report was signed on the evening of Friday 28th February, but the secretary, at the request of the committee, had to check and rearrange statistical tables and charts and prepare a corrected copy. This was not at the request of the Government but at the request of the committee. There were twenty statistical tables of great complexity which had to be reprinted. If the hon. Member wishes to know, the report will be in his hands tomorrow.
§ Mr. FootIs it not very apparent from the fact that the Prime Minister had available the details about this report—out of all the reports which might have been discussed—that he and his Government have very guilty consciences about it? Does he really mean to tell the House that it took more than six weeks for these statistical tables to be prepared? Would not it have been perfectly possible for the Government to have produced this report last week? Seeing that the court of inquiry did recommend a considerable increase in the wages of busmen, might that not have had a beneficial effect on the in industrial situation?
§ The Prime MinisterI had no reason whatever to delay this report. In fact, for the information of the hon. Member, I may say that we gave it priority procedure. It was purely a matter of reprinting the tables, which were extremely technical.