§ SIR CARNE RASCH (Essex, Chelmsford)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he can say if the statements made by Lord Roberts at the Mansion House on the condition of the Army were laid before the Army Council; and whether they represent the views of His Majesty's Government on the subject.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR,) Manchester, E.Lord Roberts' speech was not laid before the Army Council or before His Majesty's Government. Lord Roberts alone is responsible for it. It is hardly possible to do what my hon. and gallant friend desires, namely, to express either assent or dissent from a speech which in the nature of the case contains a great many propositions, each of which would have to be separately formulated and separately dealt with.