§ LORD STRICKLANDasked whether His Majesty's Government will give the reasons for which the provisions contained in Section 10 of the Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor were not put in force before Sir Harry Luke proclaimed the Accession of His Majesty King Edward VIII; whether His Majesty's Government will allow access to the correspondence on the proposed increase of salaries of Judges in Malta, and whether it will state when conversations on the subjects were established in Malta.
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE FOR THE COLONIES (THE EARL OF PLYMOUTH)The Secretary of State for the Colonies has received no report from the Governor on the matter referred to in the first part of the Question. The position, as I understand it, was that the Governor, although unfortunately in ill-health, was not thereby prevented from carrying on the administration. That being so, no question would appear to arise of action under Clause 10 of the Letters Patent. The answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative: and as regards the third part, the Secretary of State has no information that there have been any conversations on the subject between the Aloha Government and His Majesty's Judges.
House adjourned at a quarter before seven o'clock.