§ MR. VERNON HARCOURTasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether there is any reason why the Civil Service Estimates should not be presented to the House of Commons at the same time as the Army and Navy Estimates; and, whether an Estimate balance sheet might not be presented contemporaneously with the Estimates, showing on one side the probable charges for the ensuing year, and on the other side the probable yield of the Revenue, founded on the basis of the existing taxes, so that the House of Commons, in voting the Estimates, might be able to judge whether the proposed expenditure would result in a surplus or a deficit, the taxation remaining the same?
§ MR. BAXTERSir, the reason why the Civil Service Estimates are presented to the House of Commons later than the Army and Navy Estimates is, that the earlier they are laid on the Table the less accurate they will be; and as the Treasury has not the power, with regard to the former, of applying, under restrictions, surpluses on certain Votes to meet deficiencies on others, as in the case with the latter, it had been considered better to wait till as near as possible the close of the financial year. The Government do not think it desirable to place on the Table with the Estimates a balance-sheet of income and expenditure, because the statement of the balance-sheet forms essentially part of the Financial Statement; because an Estimate of Revenue prepared in February would be misleading; and because expenditure ought to be estimated with reference to the wants of the public service, not to the amount of income which may be supposed to be available.
§ MR. HUNTasked, Whether the Civil Service Estimates would be in the hands 394 of Members before the Financial Statement?
§ MR. BAXTERI expect they will be circulated to-morrow, or, at all events, not later than Saturday.