asked the Minister for Labour if he will give the results of the inquiry held into the reporting in the media of the Labour Estimate documents for 1986; and the action he proposes to take on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Labour Estimate Documents.
36.
I received a copy of the report of this inquiry on 29 October 1985. In its conclusions, the report does not provide any evidence to indicate that the information was leaked by anyone in the Department of Labour.
I had already taken steps to have the staff in the Department reminded of the requirements in relation to official secrecy.
Does the Minister accept that the document was obviously leaked from a Government Department? I am sure the Minister is aware how memos are guarded within the Departments and, therefore, am I to understand that one of the Minister's colleagues mislaid the document which led to an accurate report of the Labour Estimate for 1986 being furnished?
I did not hear what the Deputy said.
The Minister said that nobody in his Department leaked the document. I presume he accepts that the document must have been leaked by his Government colleagues as documents of this kind are never left lying around. This was a direct transcript of the Government document.
All I can do is to repeat what I have said and for the Deputy to deduce any conclusion from that would be very misleading to the House. The report which I received on 29 October concluded that there was no evidence of any kind to indicate that the information was leaked by anyone in the Department of Labour.
Balloted questions numbers 16 to 31, inclusive, will go for written reply unless it is requested before 4 o'clock that they are put into a future ballot. We do not seem to be making the best use of Question Time as about 50 per cent of the balloted questions have not been reached. I ask the Deputies to consider whether that is in their interest and I will co-operate with them in relation to these questions.
I wish to have Question No. 16 retained for the next lottery.
I have 31 questions down——
Time was lost in the early stages.
I agree but unfortunately some people seem to be luckier than others. Are the questions actually drawn out of a hat or are they listed in the order——
I am surprised at the Deputy——
I just wonder how it is organised.
Any Deputy in the House is welcome to go to the general office at a specified time each day and draw them out of a hat.
I have been very unlucky.
I was very unlucky twice in not having very important questions regarding Castle Brand addressed to the Minister and I will have to wait for a written reply.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.