The New Autocrats An extraordinary position has been taken up
by the Minister of Labour in refusing, through the'Parliamentary Secretary, to answer questions in the House as to the administration of the Commissioners appointed to administer the means test in the County 'of Durham. It is true that they are appointed, as he explained, under Order in Council, to take the place of public assistance authorities ; but the latter have a local res- ponsibility, whereas the Commissioners are responsible to nobody but the Minister of Labour. In referring his questioner to the original Act by which Parliament gave power to appoint Commissioners by Order in Council, does the Parliamentary Secretary giVe us' to understand that the Ministry is thereby absolved from all responsibility to the House of Commons as to the actions of its officials ? Can the Cornmiss.ioners do anything they like so long as they refrain from breaking the law, and their Parliamentary chief deny any duty to account for what they do in his service, and stand on his rights in refusing even to answer questions in the House ? He has afforded a remarkable example of the increasing range of 'arbitrary power conferred on the bureaucracy by Act of Parliament.
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