Government's Refusal to Vouchsafe Names of Members of New Committee: Leak in America Discussed London, Feb. 13.
Replying to a question in the House of Commons today Colonial Secretary, Mr. Amery, Geclared that it would be contrary to the established practice to give the names of the members of a committee like that considering the rubber restriction scheme.
Major-General Sir Robert Hutchison, Liberal M. P. for Montrose, asked why the reference of the Stevenson Restriction Scheme to the Bth it could only have been by a misunderstanding of the terms on! which it had been given to representatives of the press for publication on the oth.
Lt.-Col. Sir Frederick Hall (Conservative: Camberwell, Dulwich Div.) suggested that steps should be taken to deal with those responble for leakages of the information, The Premier replied that the leak was a very dificult thing to Committee of Civil Research was nek mentioned when the continuance of the Scheme was announced on February 1, "The Secretary of State for the Colonies, the RE, Hon. L. S. Amery, aid that the announcement on February 1, related solely to the exportable percentage for the next quarter and. the reference of the Scheme to the Committee of Civil Research did not arise in connection with that matter, He asked for notice of a question whether the Advisory Committee on the Rubber Scheme had been consulted before the announcement was made, Replying to a further question, Mr. Amery said that the assurance hho previously gave was that if any change in the Scheme became necessary he would endeavour to give the longest notice possible.
He added that the Governments of Ceylon and Malaya had been oaked to over-haul the machinery of the Scheme with a view to increasing the effiency of its working.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.