asked the Secretary of State for War when the hon. Member for Silvertown will have an opportunity of reading the evidence submitted at the court martial of the three non-commissioned officers at Port Said, held in December, and for which application was made on 23rd January last.

As my hon. Friend has recently been informed by letter, the proceedings have been sent back to the Middle East where they would be required in the event of any of the men submitting petitions. I have asked for their return in due course, but I am not prepared to press for their immediate despatch until I am satisfied that they are not required in connection with a petition. When they arrive I will consider letting my hon. Friend see them.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is considerable feeling in my constituency about this case, that many resolutions of protest have been made, and numbers of signatures obtained for petitions? Is he also aware that the prevalent impression in my area is, that justice does not appear to have been done in this trial, and that one of the men has been made a scapegoat? Will he see that something is done?

Certainly, Sir, but the matter is not entirely in my hands. I am bound to observe the ordinary machinery of justice, and therefore I am bound to wait to see whether any of these men submit petitions.

Would the right hon. Gentleman say what precedent there is for Members of Parliament expecting to have the right to see court martial proceedings? Surely, in his own Department he has a department concerned with reviewing court martial proceedings? Surely, it is undesirable that Members should have any right to see them?

Courts martial proceedings are open to the public and, therefore, the public have access to them.

In view of the feeling of dissatisfaction there is with this case, and with other courts martial recently, is the right hon. Gentleman considering a complete overhaul of the court martial system?

I should have thought that the hon. Member would have known that there is now a committee, presided over by one of His Majesty's judges, considering that question.

Will the right hon. Gentleman see that the hon. Member for Central Bristol, who has also written to him on this subject, has an opportunity of reading the evidence?

If the hon. Member is interested, no doubt he will.

Are we to understand from the right hon. Gentleman's reply to my supplementary question, that any member of the public has the right to ask for any particular court martial proceedings to read?

No, Sir. I did not say that. All that I have said is that I am waiting for those proceedings to arrive here, and that I will consider letting the hon. Member see them.

But why only that hon. Member? If all this sort of information is not to be available to the general public, why limit this to only one hon. Member?

For obvious reasons, I should have thought; because the hon. Member is interested in the particular case of one of his constituents.

It might turn out that lots of people were interested if they knew all about it.