§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Attorney-General whether a petition of right asking for his fiat on behalf of certain members of the special sections of the Royal Engineers was lodged at the Home Office in June last; whether the delay is due to the Treasury, to the Postmaster-General, or to the Law Officers of the Crown; and whether, having regard to the very considerable lapse of time, he will give an assurance that the reply to the petition shall be expedited as much as possible?
§ Mr. SHORTTMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question. The reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the affirmative. I have to-day submitted the Petition to His Majesty with a recommendation that His fiat should be granted. I regret that owing to the fact that legal questions of some intricacy were involved it has not been possible to deal with the matter more speedily.