§ COLONEL OWEN WILLIAMSasked the Secretary of State for War, When it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to lay upon the Table of the House the Report of the Commission on the Army presided over by General Lord Airey?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, I have to point out to the hon. and gallant Member that the body presided over by Lord Airey was not a Royal Commission, nor a Departmental Committee, but a Committee consisting solely of military officers, with whom no civilians were associated, whose opinion on certain professional questions was sought by the Secretary of State. Their Report was only presented, in a complete form, since I took Office; and as soon as Her Majesty's Government have come to conclusions on the very important questions discussed by the Committee, ranging as they do over the whole organization of the Army, and affecting the interest of almost every class in it, I will lay on the Table the Report; or, at least, so much of it as may be given consistently with the public interest. I am bound to add that the Committee was far from unanimous, and that this divergence of opinion makes it the more necessary to guard against any premature publication. I hope to be able to state the decision of Her Majesty's Government on the main questions raised in moving the Army Estimates at the commencement of the next Session.