asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will take steps at the earliest possible moment to take advantage of the suggestion of the Irish Provisional Government and arrange for a joint inquiry into all the circumstances attending the murders of British officers and men at Macroom, Cork, Dublin, and elsewhere since that Government came into being?

I think that my Noble Friend will agree that the question of a joint inquiry is not a practical one at the present moment, but I can assure him that the British Government have no intention of remitting their exertions to secure the apprehension and punishment of the perpetrators of these crimes.

While I quite realise that at the present moment it is impossible to have an inquiry, will the right hon. Gentleman give us an assurance that at the earliest moment that may be possible—we hope it will not be very long—a real inquiry will be instituted into all the circumstances leading up to these and similar outrages?

I think I had better adhere to what I have said. We have no intention of neglecting any exertions which we can make to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

Will the right hon. Gentleman give me some sort of assurance that there will be an inquiry? The Free State Government has suggested a joint inquiry, and cannot the right hon. Gentleman say that at the earliest possible moment he will have an inquiry?

The country is still in the hands of the insurgent forces. The Free State is not yet established in that area, and I should prefer to review the circumstances afresh, when the Free State Government are in full control of the territory.