§ 60. Mr. Hoggasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what terms the proposed payments to informers will be made; whether payments will be made contingent on the results of proceedings; and whether he will inform persons against whom it is proposed to bring charges that the evidence upon which it is sought to procure conviction will be that of hired witnesses.
§ Sir S. Cripps:If an offer, conditional upon payment of a reward, is made of information of an offence against the Exchange Control Act, the Treasury may reject it on the ground that the national interest is unlikely to be served by accepting it. Should they decide that there are prima facie grounds for believing its acceptance to be in the national interest, the informant would be told that if the information proves to be of value in preventing or detecting an offence a reward will be paid; but that the question whether a reward will be paid, and if so its amount, remains at the sole discretion of the Treasury. The decision will not necessarily depend upon the result of proceedings. The last part of the Question does not therefore arise.