HL Deb 25 March 1919 vol 33 cc993-4

LORD AMPTHILL rose to ask His Majesty's Government—

  1. 1. What has happened about the promised inquiry into the circumstances of the dismissal of Miss Violet Douglas Pennant from the Women's Royal Air Force, and when the inquiry will be held.
  2. 2. Whether the Report of Mr. Cecil Harmsworth recommending a judicial inquiry into the case of the dismissal of Miss Violet Douglas Pennant can now be laid upon the Table of the House.
  3. 3. Whether they will communicate to this House the full text of the letter, dated the 6th September, 1918, which, according to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Air, was written by Lord Weir to Miss Violet Douglas Pennant, and to inquire whether that letter was ever despatched.
The noble Lord said: My Lords, I propose to act on the suggestion made by the noble Earl the Leader of the House, and merely to ask my Question without any further explanation, but I hops that in the circumstances I shall get a plain answer to a plain question, as otherwise it would be impossible to pursue this method. I therefore beg to ask the Question which stands in my name.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR AIR (THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY)

My Lords, I think the noble Lord must be under some misapprehension, because I had some correspondence with him yesterday in which I asked him if he would be good enough to postpone his Question until Monday, when I should be quite happy to give him an answer. I am afraid that the letters I Wrote him must have miscarried. If he will agree to the request I made to him to postpone his Question until Monday, I shall be glad to give him the reply that he asks.

LORD AMPTHILL

May I reply to the noble Marquess? The letters have not miscarried. I received a letter from the noble Marquess asking me to postpone my Question, but as he gave me no reason I replied that I could not see my way to do so. I was naturally not going to be taken in by any of the camouflage to which we are accustomed.