§ MR. HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)asked the Secretary of State for War, If his attention has been directed to the following paragraphs of the Report of the Royal Commission on Warlike Stores, namely:—
75. We should be very sorry to say a disrespectful word of the eminent persons who have filled, or do fill, the position of Secretary of State and Surveyor General of the Ordnance. Their position, however, appears to us to be a false one, to result in great weakness of administration, and to stand in the highest degree in need of alteration;192. The great defects of the existing system are three: First, it has no definite object. Secondly, it has no efficient head. Thirdly, it has no properly organized method of dealing with technical questions which arise as to the construction or purchase of warlike stores, In other words, it requires more system, more publicity, more vigour in administration, and more special knowledge in council;and, what steps he proposes to take to remedy a state of affairs so prejudicial to the interests of the country?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. E. STANHOPE) (Lincolnshire, Horncastle)I do not suppose that my hon. Friend really thinks it possible that, within the limits of an answer to a Question, I can explain the steps I propose to take in consequence of the Reports of the Royal Commission on Warlike Stores and of Lord Morley's Committee. I hope, however, to be able to do so either during the discussions, on the Estimates, or, at any rate, before the end of the Session. I may add that the Royal Commission, from whose Report the paragraphs quoted are taken, took hardly any evidence on the particular subjects referred to in them.