§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Prime Minister what information is made available to the Honours Scrutiny Committee as to the character of those persons, who have been or are subject to the Official Secrets Act, recommended for peerages by the Prime Minister.
§ The Prime MinisterThe committee is furnished with a statement of the service in respect of which and the reasons for which each recommendation is proposed to be made, and a certificate that no payment or expectation of payment to any party or political fund is directly or indirectly associated with the recommendation. The committee is also authorised to make such inquiry as it thinks fit about the past history or general character of those whose names are submitted to it, so as to be able to carry out the duty laid upon it of reporting to the Prime Minister whether, in its belief, those persons are fit and proper persons to be recommended.