§ MR. BAUMANN (Camberwell, Peckham)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that there are several very important urgent questions connected with Vote 3, in Class 5, of the Estimates; whether there is any reason for the continued postponement of this Vote; and whether he will consult the convenience of he House by taking 215 the Votes in the order in which they have been begun?
§ MR. HANBURY (Preston)I should also like to ask the right hon. Gentleman, will the Army Clothing Vote be taken first on Thursday, and then the War Office Vote.
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHIt is intended to take the Clothing and Victualling Vote first, and the War Office Vote afterwards. I trust that these Votes may both be taken in the course of the evening. In answer to the hon. Member for Peckham, I am aware that there are important questions connected with Vote 3 in Class 5 of the Estimates, and I am anxious that the Vote should be put down for discussion at the earliest possible moment, but at present I am not in a position to say when it will be taken.
*SIR W. BARTTELLOT (Sussex, N. W.)May I ask whether Lord Harrington's Report is to be discussed in connection with the Army Vote? Will the Chairman of Committee allow us to fully discuss that Report on the Vote?
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHI ought to say that the Government propose to proceed with the Bills on the Paper on Monday in the order in which they stand. I have always been under the impression that upon the War Office Vote it will be possible for the House to discuss the question which involves the Report of the Commission, presided over by the noble Lord the Member for Rossendale. It is, of course, not in my power to limit the discretion of the Chairman of Committees, but I have little doubt that reasonable discussion will be allowed on the subject of the Report.
§ *SIR W. BARTTELOTThe Navy question is so mixed up with the Army question that both ought to be discussed together. Does my right hon. Friend think that the Chairman of Committees will allow us to discuss the two questions together?
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHI am sure my hon. and gallant Friend will forgive me if I decline to express any opinion upon the point. There are two separate Reports, the one relating to the Navy, the other to the Army, and it is for the Chairman of Committees to determine whether on the War Office Vote it will be right to discuss them both.
§ *SIR W. BARTTELOTThis is a very important question. Will the right hon. 216 Gentleman set aside a day for the discussion of the Report affecting, as it does, the Navy as well as the Army, if it should prove to be necessary?
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHI will endeavour to meet the views of the House. A Vote for the Admiralty still remains to be taken, and it will afford an opportunity for the discussion of the matter in which my hon. and gallant Friend is interested. If it should be possible to place this Vote and the War Office Vote together the Government will do so.