MEMBERS’ PRIVILEGES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 178, 28 June 1938, Page 9

MEMBERS’ PRIVILEGES

OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT. A CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION. ■ RAISED IN THE COMMONS. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received June 28, 10 40 a.m. RUGBY, June 27. An important constitutional question relating to the privileges of members of Parliament in relation to the action under the Official Secrets Act was raised in the House of Commons, 'and, as a result, a motion has been tabled in the following terms: “That a select committeo of the House be appointed to inquire iuto the substance of a statement made on June 27 by the member for Norwood and the action of the Minister concerned, and .generally the question of the applicability of tho Official Secrets. Act to . the memhoi's of this House in the discharge or their Parliamentary duties.” . The matter at issue was explained in two statements by the member for Norwood (Mr Duncan Saodys) and the Attorney-General (Sir/Donald Somervell), and, after listening to them, the Speaker said he was convinced of tho importance of the issues they had raised as to the position of members of the House in relation to the Official Secrets Act. . . . , Mr Chamberlain indicated that time would be given for a discussion on tlie matter. Tho request of Mr Sandys to the Speaker in the House for guidance on the question followed an interview he had had with Sir Donald Somervell. Ho had forwarded to the War Secretary a draft of the question he proposed to put on the order paper, the contents of which he was later informed by the Attorney-General were held by the War Office to indicate tlie disclosure of secret information... The purpose of the interview, according to the Attorney-General’s statement in the House of Commons, was to inform Mr Sandys. who was thought to be unaware of tne breach of the Official Secrets Act involved, and to put the legal position before him and to ask him if lie was prepared to assist in tracing the disclosure by revealing the sources of his information. According to Mr Sandys’s statement it appears that he considered Sir Donald Somervell’s request as a threat of proceedings under the Act. In a subsequent interview, and by an exchange of letters, the AttorneyGeneral indicated that there had been some misapprehension and there was no intention of enforcing against the member for Norwood the powers of interrogation under the Official Secrets Act. ' Mr Sandys, however, decided to raise the matter in the House as a question concerning not merely himself, but equally all members of Parliament, and it was decided that the position be clarified without delay.