HC Deb 09 August 1901 vol 99 cc389-96

Resolutions reported.

Whereas it appears by the Navy Appropriation Account for the year ended the 31st day of March, 1900, and the statement appended thereto, as follows, viz.:—

  1. (a) That the gross expenditure for certain Navy Services exceeded the estimate of such expenditure by a total sum of £1,151,718 11s. 2d., as shown in Column No. 1 of the schedule hereto appended; while the gross expenditure for other Navy Services fell short of the estimate of such expenditure by a total sum of £1,749,812 15s. 2d., as shown in column No. 2 of the said appended schedule, so that the gross actual expenditure for the whole of the Navy Services fell short of the gross estimated expenditure by the net sum of £598,094 4s.;
  2. (b) That the total actual receipts in aid of the grants for Navy Services exceeded the total estimated receipts by

SCHEDULE.
Number of Vote. Navy Services, 1899–1900. Votes. Gross Expenditure. Appropriations in Aid.
Excesses of Actual over Estimated Gross Expenditure. Surpluses of Estimated over Actual Gross Expenditure. Deficiencies of Actual as compared with Estimated Receipts. Surpluses of Actual as compared with Estimated Receipts.
1. 2. 3. 4.
£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.
1 Wages, etc., of Officers, Seamen, and Boys, Coast Guard, and Royal Marines — 29,559 17 0 — 5,078 14 0
2 Victualling and Clothing for the Navy 245,366 4 17 — — 94,407 5 11
3 Medical Establishments and Services — 29 16 11 — 1,745 7 6
4 Martial Law 2,601 17 8 — — 40 17 2

the sum of £265,185 6s. 6d., as shown in column No. 4 of the said appended schedule;

(c) That the resulting differences between the Exchequer Grants for Navy Services and the net expenditure are as follows, viz:—

£ s. d.
Total Surpluses 1,793,043 11 2
Total Deficits 929, 764 0 8
Net Surplus £863, 279 10 6

And whereas the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury have temporarily authorised the application, in reduction of the net charge on Exchequer Grants for certain Navy Services, of the whole of the sums received in excess of the estimated Appropriations-in-Aid, in respect of the same Services; and have also temporarily authorised the application of so much of the said total surpluses on certain Grants for Navy Services as is necessary to cover the said total deficits on other Grants for Navy Services.

1. "That the application of such sums be sanctioned."

Number of Vote. Navy Services, 1899–1900. Votes. Gross Expenditure. Appropriations in Aid.
Excesses of Actual over Estimated Gross Expenditure. Surpluses of Estimated over Actual Gross Expenditure. Deficiencies of Actual as compared with Estimated Receipts. Surpluses of Actual as compared with Estimated Receipts.
1. 2. 3. 4.
£ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.
5 … Educational Services — 5,001 12 6 — 395 7 3
6 … Scientific Services. — 1,148 15 2 — 5,159 13 10
7 … Royal Naval Reserves 42,243 13 1 — 95 3 3
8 … Shipbuilding, Repairs, Maintenance, etc.:
Sec. 1 … Personnel 64,419 0 2 — — 240 9 11
Sec. 2 … Matériel 809,951 11 11 — — 126,088 17 4
Sec. 3 … Contract Work — 1,489,405 13 5 — 315 3 3
9 … Naval Armaments — 124,970 1 9 — 19,413 14 9
10 … Works, Buildings, and Repairs at Home and Abroad — 40,256 2 7 — 10,865 15 8
11 … Miscellaneous Effective Services 27,140 8 7 — — 1,135 0 2
12 … Admiralty Office — 4,499 8 8 — 10 7
13 … Half-pay, Reserved and Retired Pay — 808 7 5 — 17 3 6
14 … Naval and Marine Pensions, Gratuities, and Compassionate Allowances — 10,130 5 1 — 118 17 10
15 … Civil Pensions and Gratuities — 1,759 1 7 — 25 4 7
16 … Additional Naval Force for Service in Australasian Waters 42 16 0 — — 42 0 0
Amount written off as irrecoverable 2,196 12 0 — — —
1,151,718 11 2 1,749,812 15 2 — 265,185 6 6
Net Surplus, £598,094 4 0 Surplus, £265,185 6 6
Surplus surrendered to the Exchequer £863,279 10 6

Where as it appears by the Army Appropriation Account for the year ended the 31st day of March, 1900, and the statement appended thereto, as follows, viz.:—

  1. (a) That the gross expenditure for certain Army Services exceeded the estimate of such expenditure by a total sum of £950,384 16s. 6d., as shown in column No. 1 of the schedule hereto appended; while the gross expenditure for other Army Services fell short of the estimate of such expenditure by a total sum of 392 £1,634,061 5s. 2d., as shown in column No. 2 of the said appended schedule; so that the gross actual expenditure for the whole of the Army Services fell short of the gross estimated expenditure by the net sum of £683,676 8s. 8d.;
  2. (b) That the receipts in aid of Certain Army Services fell short of the estimate of such receipts by a total sum of £262,092 2s. 3d., as shown in column No. 3 of the said appended schedule; while the receipts in aid of other Army Services exceeded the estimate 393 of such receipts by a total sum of £1343,217 16s. 10d., as shown in column No. 4 of the said appended schedule; so that the total actual receipts in aid of the Grants for Army Services fell short of the total estimated receipts by the net sum of £131,874 5s. 5d.;
  3. (c) That the resulting differences between the Exchequer Grants for Army Services and the net expenditure are as follows, viz.:—

£ s. d.
Total Surpluses 1,437,483 17 3
Total Deficits 885,681 14 0
Net Surplus £551,802 3 3

And whereas the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury have temporarily authorised the application, in reduction of the net charge on Exchequer Grants for certain Army Services, of the whole of the sums received in excess of the Estimated Appropriations-in-Aid, in respect of the same Services; and have also temporarily authorised the application of so much of the said total surpluses on certain Grants for Army Services as is necessary to cover the said total deficits on other Grants for Army Services.

2."That the application of such sums be sanctioned."

No. of vote. Army Services, 1899–1900. Votes. Gross Expenditure. Appropriations in Aid.
Excesses of Actual over Estimated Gross Expenditure Surpluses of Estimated over Actual Gross Expenditure. Deficiencies of Actual as compared with Estimated Receipts. Surpluses of Actual as compared with Estimated Receipts.
1. 2. 3. 4.
16 Superannuation, Compensation, and Compassionate Allowances £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.
643 2 8 — — 91 6 2
Balances irrecoverable 757 18 5 1,634,061 5 2 — —
950,384 16 6 1,634,061 5 2 262,092 2 3 130,217 16 10
Net Surplus, £683,676 8 8 Net Deficit, £131,874 5 5
Surplus surrendered to the Exchequer £551,802 3 3
MR. JOHN REDMOND (Waterford)

I rise for the purpose of moving the adjournment and, at the same time, making a suggestion to the right hon. Gentleman in charge of the business of the House to-night. This resolution and the one which immediately follows on the Paper were discussed last night at considerable length, one of the contentions of my hon. friends being that there was no absolute necessity for the Government to bring them on then, as it was not proposed to take the Second Reading of the Appropriation Bill until Thursday. The Government, however, persisted, and there was a long discussion. There is no disposition on the part of my hon. friends to repeat that long discussion to night, and what I would suggest to the Government is that they should allow the Report of these two resolutions to stand over until Monday, and the House to adjourn immediately, on the understanding, which I have no hesitation in entering into, that when they come up on Monday there shall not be the slightest disposition on the part of my hon. friends to prolong the discussion thereon. They may desire to take a division, but so far as discussion is concerned there will be no disposition to stand in the way of the Government getting the resolutions on Monday. Under these circumstances, I think it would be for the general convenience of the House now, and for the convenience of the despatch of business next week, if the Government acceded to the suggestion I have made, and accepted the motion I now move.

*THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE, Croydon)

I need scarcely say that the Government have every desire to consult the convenience of the House, consistently with the due despatch of public business, and certainly there is no desire on the part of the Government to keep the House sitting to-night unnecessarily after the late sitting of last night. The hon. Gentleman makes the proposal that these two resolutions, instead of being taken to-night, with, perhaps, long discussion, shall be taken on Monday, when he gives the ordinary undertaking across the floor of the House that, so far as he and his friends are concerned, there will be no discussion—

MR. JOHN REDMOND

No protracted discussion.

*MR. RITCHIE

Although there may be a division. That would enable the Government to introduce the Appropriation Bill on Monday, beyond which it is necessary it should not be delayed. The Government are prepared to accept the assurance of the hon. Gentleman, and on that understanding we will consent not to take these resolutions to-night.

Report deferred till Monday next.

Adjourned accordingly at twenty minutes before One of the clock till Monday next.