HC Deb 13 March 1893 vol 9 cc1840-1
SIR MICHAEL HICKS BEACH (Bristol, W.)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether any expenditure will be incurred in the course of the present financial year on account of the improved and extended system of collecting and publishing labour statistics recently announced by the President of the Board of Trade; and, if so, why no vote for the purpose is included in the Supplementary Estimates?

THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Sir J. T. HIBBERT,) Oldham

Nearly the whole of the additional staff in the new Labour Department are engaged from April 1 next. Any expenditure coming in course of payment during the present year will be met from savings on the Board of Trade Vote, which already contains provision for the existing Labour Department.

SIR MICHAEL HICKS BEACH

Would it not be more in accordance with the usual custom, seeing that considerable changes have been made in the Labour Department of the Board of Trade, to bring the matter under the review of Parliament in the shape of a Supplementary Estimate although only a small sum of additional expenditure is involved? Surely the Vote ought to be on the Estimates in order to enable Parliament to know exactly what is being done.

SIR J. T. HIBBERT

With respect to the new Labour Department full provision is made in the Estimates for next year, and the salaries which will be paid will date from April 1. A very small sum indeed is required up to the end of this year.

MR. JAMES LOWTHER

Is there money in hand to enable that to be met?

SIR J. T. HIBBERT

I am told so.