HC Deb 02 April 1897 vol 48 cc411-2
MR. J. L. CAREW (Dublin, College Green)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will grant, as unopposed, the Return "Navy (Amounts expended in Great Britain and Ireland)," notice of which appears in the Paper for this day?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

If the object of the return is to show the amount of Imperial expenditure in the various parts of the United Kingdom, I think that the inquiry, if desirable, should be deferred until the Commission has reported as to what is Imperial expenditure. Let me add that I am afraid the return in the shape the hon. Gentleman asks for would involve such an enormous amount of labour on the part of the officials that it could hardly be granted, at least in that shape.

MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)

May I put a supplemental Question to the right hon. Gentleman? I understand from his answer that he considers it desirable that this Question should be investigated by the new Commission which is going to be appointed. I would ask him whether the terms of reference as published would include an inquiry into that matter?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

I think the hon. Gentleman mistook the purport of my answer. I may have expressed myself obscurely. An inquiry as to where Imperial expenditure is spent does not, as he rightly suggests, come within the terms of the Commission. What the Commission will have to do is to determine what is Imperial expenditure, and when that is determined it will be for the House and the Government to consider whether a return should be granted showing where this Imperial expenditure is spent in the three kingdoms.

MR. JOHN REDMOND

Does the right hon. Gentleman then intend to issue a third Commission to inquire into that?

THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY

No. Sir; that will not require a Commission to carry it out. It will be carried out by the calculations supplied by the various Departments.

MR. JAMES O'KELLY (Roscommon, N.)

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he will inform us how much of the Navy Estimates are spent in Ireland?

* MR. SPEAKER

Order, order!