Disposal and Liquidation Commission.

Part of Civil Services and Revenue Departments Supplementary Estimate, 1921–22. – in the House of Commons at on 27 February 1922.

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Photo of Mr Neil Maclean Mr Neil Maclean , Glasgow Govan

That is the usual way with the Government. They will not take any notice until a few more by-elections compel them to do so. I am quite certain if the Financial Secretary were an interested shareholder in any public com- pany he would not allow the chairman of that company to ride off on an item of this kind, submitted in this manner. He would want the particulars of income and expenditure shown in the balance sheet. I have a recollection of what has been done before with regard to appropriations in aid taken by the Disposal and Liquidation Commission. We have been selling factories and stores all over the country, by public auction, for what we could get, and that money which should have been paid in to meet the debts of the country was put into the income of the country, although it was actually the result of selling off what was looked upon as the capital of the country. That would not be passed by a public auditor scrutinising the report of a public company—a procedure by which the capital of the company is sold off and entered into the income of the company. With regard to the amounts mentioned as for compensation, what has been the amount paid to the Canadian Government? What was the claim of the Italian Government and how much was the claim settled for? Those are matters on which the House is entitled to have knowledge; and as regards the railway companies, has not the country been sufficiently bled by them? What is the exact amount for which they are bleeding us now? Is it the £2,200,000, and is the other odd £50,000 the amount that is going to the Canadian and Italian Governments, or is it the other way about? What are the actual sums which the country is being invited to pay to these Governments on the one hand and to the railway companies on the other?

The Financial Secretary may say that we are not being asked to vote money because the Appropriations-in-Aid meet the Estimate, but these Appropriations-in-Aid might be devoted to some better purpose, and we should know exactly why these items have to be met. We have a right to know for what purpose we are paying away money, and if we are not going to have that information, then the Committee is being treated by the Government in a scandalous manner. We are the custodians of the public purse. We are expected to look upon finance as something for which we must be responsible when we go before our constituents. We are asked to take that responsibility, and we would be neglecting our responsi- bility, and would deserve to lose our seats, were we not to take an interest in what the Government brings before us on these matters of finance. The only firm mentioned as having paid in any thing is the British Australian Wool Realisation Association, and that is for storage. Is the whole sum of £2,249,000 storage, and has it all been paid by this association? If not, from what other sources has this sum been drawn? The hon. and gallant Gentleman said that this particular Appropriation-in-Aid was not the result of money realised from the sale of Government factories or their contents. We are quite prepared to accept that, but if he is willing to give us information as to what it does not consist of, will he give us information as to what it does consist of? We are told that recoveries have been made from other Government Departments, but the hon. Member mentioned no other such Government Department. If other Government Departments have had certain things which they had to get rid of, and in respect of which money has been realised, surely we have a right to know which Government Departments, and whether they were right in getting rid of those things, or whether they were diminishing the Departments in such a way as to meet economy by sacrificing efficiency. It may save the Debate going any further if we get the information we want, but as long as the hon. Member withholds that information we are perfectly entitled to continue the Debate until we compel him or some other Member of the Government to tell us what we want to know.