HC Deb 05 July 1982 vol 27 cc14-5
23. Dr. Bray

asked the the right hon. Member for Middlesbrough, as representing the House of Commons commission, if the Commission will make it its practice to adopt the ususal Select Committee format for its reports and publish will them the evidence, including memoranda, it receives and its minutes of proceedings.

Mr. Arthur Bottomley

No, Sir.

Dr. Bray

Will the Commission publish the correspondence and memoranda that it has received from right hon. and hon. Members, the Treasury and any other party regarding the request to the Treasury and Civil Service Committee to pay £75,000 a year for work that needs to be done on the review of the economy, so that the House can be reassured that the Commission is adequately discharging its responsibility to the House and is not protecting the Treasury from the proper review of its policies by a Committee of the House?

Mr. Bottomley

This is a matter that cannot be handled by a question and answer. The Secretary of the Commission has sent a letter to my hon. Friend, and I suggest that he follows the matter up by answering that correspondence.

Mr. English

I appreciate what my right hon. Friend says and I agree that this is a matter that cannot be handled by question and answer. However, why has the Commission been frightened to have its annual report debated for three successive years? As the Commission contains the Leader and the Shadow Leader of the House, it can hardly be claimed that time could not be made available. It is simply sheer fright that causes the Commission not to wish itself to be debated on the Floor of the House.

Mr. Bottomley

Personally, I should welcome a debate on the report, but this has never been pursued by hon. Members on either side.

Mr. English

It will be.

Dr. Bray

The right hon. Gentleman will appreciate the difficulty, both of the Commission and hon. Members, when the Commission apparently reaches conclusions on evidence submitted by Government Departments which is not available to hon. Members giving evidence in the Commission, whereas evidence from hon. Members is available to Government Departments. Is this not a gross neglect of the Commission's duties to the House?

Mr. Bottomley

With respect, it is not. The Commission has to handle matters of a delicate and personal nature which concern those employed in the House. If we started to discuss matters of that kind, it would do harm to those involved.