§ 3.35 p.m.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in may name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when, and in what form, the Report of the Royal Commission on land in East Africa will be published.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORT-FOLIO (THE EARL OF MUNSTER)My Lords, The Report is with the printers but I cannot yet say when it will be ready for publication. I understand that printing will not be completed until some time in April. The Commission's secretariat is responsible for the form of the Report, which I understand will be published as a Command Paper after submission to Her Majesty The Queen.
§ THE EARL OF LISTOWELMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Earl for that reply, and I should like to ask him this additional question. Will consideration be given to the publication of the evidence given by witnesses appearing before the Royal Commission; and, if not, will it be possible to include the names of the witnesses and the organisations which they represent in the body of the Report?
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERMy Lords, I understand that the evidence is extremely voluminous and it will not, therefore, be published; but there will be an Appendix attached to the Report which will give a complete list of all the individuals and organisations who submitted evidence to the Commission.
§ EARL JOWITTMy Lords, would it be possible to arrange for the evidence to 724 be available in the Library of your Lordships' House, so that Members who want to read it may have an opportunity of doing so?
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERMy Lords, I should like to communicate the observations of the noble and learned Earl to the Secretary of State and let him know the answer in due course.