HL Deb 02 March 1954 vol 186 cc3-4

2.40 p.m.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Questions was as follows:

[To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the few and short reports which have appeared in this country of the official inquiry into bribery in the Gold Coast, they will make the verbatim record of the proceedings available in the Library.]

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF MUNSTER)

My Lords, as my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies said in another place on February 10, the Report of the Commission of Inquiry will be published in the Gold Coast and will be available here. When it is received, I will place a copy in the Library. The Gold Coast Government have not yet decided whether to publish, in addition, a verbatim record of the proceedings. In considering this, they must take into account the bulk and accuracy of the record made and the time that it would take to get it printed and published.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, whilst thanking the noble Earl for that Answer, and thanking him also for his promise to place a copy of the Report in the Library, may I ask him to bear in mind the desirability, if practicable, of placing a verbatim record in the Library, in view of the very short and, perhaps, misleading statements which have appeared in the Press and elsewhere in this country with reference to this matter?

THE EARL OF MUNSTER

My Lords, I will certainly do that. But I should like to tell the noble Lord that reasonably full summaries have appeared from time to time in The Times newspaper. Secondly, I am informed that early in February the verbatim record of this case already covered over 800 transcript pages. The noble Lord will realise that there has been, roughly, another month's inquiry, since that date, and I am further informed that we do not yet know whether the standard of recording has been high enough to make publication possible. However, I will certainly bear in mind what the noble Lord has said.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, if the transcript is as great as the noble Earl has suggested, obviously, even The Times newspaper report can be only a very short one, and therefore it is desirable, if practicable—if it is not, well and good—that we should have an opportunity of reading the full report and transcript.