§ Mr. Tomlinsonasked the Lord President of the Council whether he is yet able to announce the composition of the committee which is to consider whether provision should be made from public funds to assist political parties in carrying out their functions outside Parliament.
§ Mr. Edward ShortYes. This committee has now been established under the chairmanship of the right hon. Lord
481WHoughton of Sowerby. The other members are:
- Major Sir Tatton Brinton.
- Sir Edmund Compton.
- Mr. I. Aitken.
- Professor M. P. Fogarty.
- Lord Greene of Harrow Weald.
- Professor D. N. MacCormick.
- Dr. W. E. J. McCarthy.
- Mrs. M. Thomas.
- Mr. H. R. Underhill.
- Sir John Wall.
The name of one further member of the committee will be announced later.
The full terms of reference are as follows:
To consider whether, in the interests of parliamentary democracy, provision should be made from public funds to assist political parties in carrying out their functions outside Parliament; to examine the practice of other parliamentary democracies in this field, and to make recommendations as to the scope of political activities to which any such provision should relate and the method of its allocation.