§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War what public official means of information exist for ascertaining the names of persons serving on War Office Committees, such as those connected with the invention or the supply of arms and other War Office stores; how such Committees are paid, if at all; what official regulations exist preventing Members of such Committees from themselves becoming personally interested, directly or indirectly, in the adoption, rejection, or improvement of the inventions or stores upon which they may be called in to advise the 1238 Secretary of State; and whether he will lay such regulations upon the Table of the House, and publish the names of the Members of such Committees quarterly in the official Army List, as the names of other Committees are already published?
§ *MR. E. STANHOPEMy hon. Friend will find in the Army List the names of the Members of all War Office Committees connected with the invention or supply of arms or of warlike stores, except the Permanent Dress and Equipment Committee at Aldershot and the Small Arms Committee, which was a temporary Committee and has just concluded its labours. The names of its Members are well known. The rules for the payment of Committees will be found in the Royal Warrant for pay and promotion in Articles 243 to 247. Members of the Ordnance Committee are forbidden to take out patents for inventions in any way connected with their duties on the Committee. In the case of other Committees, it is a well understood rule that no Member may have a pecuniary interest in the success of any invention on which he is called on to advise. Any breach of this rule would involve the removal of the Member from the Committee. I shall be very glad to insert in the Army List the names of any permanent Committees that may be appointed for these, purposes.