MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War whether Her Majesty's Government propose to give any further information than is contained in the memorandum of the Military Works Bill of 1899 (C. 9367, of 1899) relative to the item of £1,000,000 for defence works; whether it is to be understood that this 1409 item is to be expended for defence works of the nature of fortifications alone, or whether it is proposed to expend any portion of it for any other purpose; and, whether further details, of the nature of those afforded under Head 2, with regard to barracks will he given with reference to the particular places and purposes for which this £1,000,000 is to be expended before the House is asked finally to pass the Bill authorising the expenditure, or whether Her Majesty's Government propose that they should he authorised to borrow and to expend this £1,000,000 without giving any details whatever as to the purposes to which it is to be applied.
* MR. POWELL-WILLIAMSAs was stated to the House in introducing the Military Works Loan Resolution, the Secretary of State does not consider it expedient to give details in respect of the proposed defence works.
§ SIR J. COLOMBIs the hon. Gentleman aware that these details were given both in the Treasury correspondence in 1884 and in the Works Bill of 1880?
MR. GIBSON BOWLESAm I to understand that the Government propose to carry out the works without giving any details?
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMSI have already answered the question, and I suppose that would follow from the answer I have given.
CAPTAIN SINCLAIRI beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War if he will state, for the year 31st March, 1898, to 31st March, 1899, the amount expended under the Barracks Act, 1890, and the Military Works Act, 1897?
* MR. J. POWELL-WILLIAMSThe approximate figures are under the Barracks Act, 1890, £176,000; and under the Military Works Act, 1897, £725,000; making a total of £901,000.