BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1926, Page 3

BRITISH PARLIAMENT

G OVERNA!ENT CONTR A CTS. , LONDON, July 8. In tho House of Commons, in reply to a question, Mr Baldwin admitted that the’ R.t. Hon. Neville Chamberlain (Minister of Health) was still a director of the company of Hoskins and Sons, of Birmingham, hut he mid it was a private concern, and therefore Mr Chamberlain was not affected by 1 tbp rule requiring Ministers to resign * , directorships when they assumed office, i Mr N. Chamberlain, in a persona! statement, said that he understood that someone had employed experts to search the official records to see if anything could he used to discredit Ministers. He was the third Minister who had been attacked. Tie said that the House had debated this rule in 19(10, whep Mr Lloyd George quoted some company in his amendment to the Ad-dress-in-Reply, which amendment was largely defeated. The House, he said, had never inicl it down that a Minister ' should not hold shares in a company if which might, from time to time, have contracts with the Government. Ho had - not taken any active part for years Vin tho Hoskins Comphny’s administration. , He was really a trustee for-fam-ily interests. He did not know ol anv government contracts, but when he was k y actually concerned jn the business, it mostly concerned shipbuilding. So lar as he knew, there, had been no change since. Tf there were any Government contracts, be said, they were trifling

ones. Mr Baldwin then said that he would live a day to a discussion; on the mat-

R.t. Hon. Arthur Henderson ther. promised tlrit ho would table a motion on the subject.