§ Mr. Levyasked the Attorney-General whether he will consider introducing legislation making it illegal to offer or accept or solicit any consideration, by way of commission or otherwise, for the grant or procuring of any Government contract; and will he, in the meantime, as a temporary check, notify all Government contractors that proof of any arrangement entered into for the payment of commission by any firm of Government contractors to any agent in connection with the procuring of any contract with the Government will preclude the giving of any further contracts to such firm?
§ The Attorney-GeneralIn so far as the matters referred to by my hon. Friend involve evidence of corruption, the existing law contains provisions for dealing with them. The Government agree that the law requires strengthening in order to prevent undesirable practices of the kind referred to in the Question, and are proposing to make a Regulation for this purpose. In the meantime it cannot be too widely known that there is no occasion whatever to pay commission to anybody in respect of the procuring of a Government contract, and the circumstances of certain cases to which the attention of the Government has been called are being investigated.