§ MR. WILLIAM JONESI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state what is the total cost of the Auditor General's Department, and what relation that cost bears to the total sum audited.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe cost of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Department for 1899–1900, including pensions and expenditure on its behalf by the Stationery Office, Office of Works, and Post Office, was £80,786. The amount of expenditure in 1899–1900 on account of Voted Loan and Consolidated Fund Services which was audited by the Department was upwards of £123,000,000. The Department also audited numerous non-voted accounts, such as the National Debt Commissioners' Accounts, the Supreme Court Fund Accounts, etc., etc., as to which figures cannot be furnished without considerable difficulty and delay.