§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Agriculture the amount of the costs received by the plaintiff in the action Lindner versus Moon and Another; the amount of costs incurred in defending the action; and under what authority agents of his, who have been found by a court of law to have instituted proceedings without justification, are indemnified at the cost of the taxpayer.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsThe sum of £401 1s. 7d. was paid as the taxed costs recoverable by the plaintiff and the sum of £471 3s. 11d. was incurred by my Department in defending the action. As regards the last part of the Question, no agents of mine were found by a court of law to have instituted proceedings without justification. Owing to certain irregularities of procedure a requisition notice was held by the court to be invalid. As to why my agents were indemnified, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General to the hon. Member for Maldon (Mr. Driberg) on 1st August, 1946.
312W
§ Mr. Tiffanyasked the Minister of Agriculture why his Department undertook to indemnify the defendant in the recent libel action of Odium versus Stratton; what were the terms of the indemnity; when was it given and by what person's authority; how much money falls to be paid under the indemnity; what public position the defendant held at the time of the libel action; and what public position he holds now.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsAs regards the first three parts of the Question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General to the hon. Member for Maldon (Mr. Driberg) on 1st August. The damages awarded amounting to £500 have been paid, but the amount of the costs to be paid cannot yet be stated as the plaintiff's solicitors have not yet delivered their bill of costs. In answer to the last two parts of the Question, the defendant was at the time of the action the Chairman of the Wiltshire War Agricultural Executive Committee. He has recently resigned that position.