ALLEGED LEAKAGE

Grey River Argus, 20 January 1940, Page 11

ALLEGED LEAKAGE

FROM COMMONS SECRET SESSION. GERMAN REPORT DISCREDITED. RUGBY, January 18. The Trans-Ocean News Agency this morning cited a report from a Munich newspaper of what purported to be an account of a speech delivered at a “secret sitting of the House of Commons, on December 15.” The report is'said to be based on information received from “reliable neutral circles,” but immediately afterwards it is referred to a? being based on an “authorised extract.’’ The secret session was held on December 13, and Parliament adjourned on the next day for the Christmas recess. The Commons, therefore, was not in session on December 15.

It may be recalled'that, on December 12, a Liberal Member sought a ruling from the 'Speaker whether it was a fact that any Member who repeated outside, even in private conversation, anything said in. the House during the secret session/ would be guilty Of a breach of privilege. In reply,'the Speaker said that any Member who so acted would be wilfully disobeying the order of the House, and thereby committing a breach of privilege, rendering himself diable to reprimand, commitment to prison, or in an extreme case expulsion from the House. In the light of the Speaker’s ruling the' “reliability” of neutral circles claiming to have information about the secret proceedings of the British House of Commons, and the “au-thority”-on which . the alleged extracts have been made from speeches delivered at the secret session, can be easily judged. .