HC Deb 17 March 1882 vol 267 cc1146-7
MR. RAIKES

asked the noble Lord the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it was not a fact that the Votes which it was proposed to take that night would be moved without having previously been submitted to the Committee on Public Accounts; whether the Committee on Public Accounts had not yet been appointed; and whether he would be able to defer those Votes until they could come before the House, accom- panied by the Report of that Committee?

LORD FREDERICK CAYENDISH

regretted to say that the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General had not yet been submitted to the Committee on Public Accounts for the reason that he had been so far unable to get that Committee appointed. It was absolutely necessary that those Votes should be taken to-night, unless the accountants were to be made responsible personally for the amounts. He had proposed to take an amount passed and approved by the Comptroller and Auditor General, and he did not think there could be any doubt whatever that that amount would be approved by the Committee on Public Accounts. This step had been taken on repeated occasions, when it had been impossible to obtain the sanction of the Public Accounts Committee. The Report would be considered as soon as the Committee was appointed, and any questions raised there would be brought before the House.

MR. RAIKES

asked the noble Lord what steps he would take as to the appointment?

LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH

replied, that that seemed to be a matter for the House. He had put the Motion down for the appointment; but he might be stopped by the half-past 12 o'clock Rule.

EARL PERCY

asked the noble Lord if it was not the fact that a Motion for the appointment of the Public Accounts Committee was down on the Paper for Tuesday, and why it was not moved, seeing the House was counted out?

LORD FREDERICK CAVENDISH

said, he was unavoidably detained on business on Tuesday evening, and was on his way to the House when he was informed there had been a count out.