HC Deb 03 March 1884 vol 285 cc364-5
MR. RYLANDS

asked the First Lord of the Treasury, Whether, in view of the Resolution in favour of the Reduction of National Expenditure passed by the House on the 6th April 1883, and in accordance with the promise then given, the Government have seriously considered the proposal for the appointment of a Select Committee, or of more than one Committee, for the purpose of opening up to the full consideration of the House the whole arrangements of the Public Expenditure, and of reporting upon the measures to be conducted for the relief of the Country from any part of the existing Expenditure by economies which would not be detrimental to the Public Services?

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. CHILDERS)

I have been asked by my right hon. Friend to answer this Question. My hon. Friend will remember that on his Motion last Session the Prime Minister indicated that if the House showed any inclination for the appointment of one or more Committees for the review of the Public Expenditure, Her Majesty's Government would favourably view such an arrangement. It has not, however, yet appeared that the House was anxious for such Committee or Committees, and none was appointed last Session. It was, however, decided that in the Recess I should collect the fullest information possible as to the growth of the different branches of the National Expenditure, and that I should then, with the assistance of the Secretary to the Treasury and the other officers of the Treasury, meet each Head of Department in turn who accounts for the several Votes, and discuss carefully with him and his subordinates the items of Expenditure. I devoted a considerable portion of the Recess to this examination, and the results will appear in some of the Estimates, and in the explanations which we shall be able to give when they are discussed in Committee of Supply. I propose to pursue this examination during the current year, and I hope that it will have been completed before the Session of 1885. Under these circumstances, I should deprecate the appointment at present of any Select Committee to conduct a similar examination; but I think it well worth consideration whether next year such Committees of Review may not be found valuable.