HC Deb 06 July 1905 vol 148 cc1324-7
DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will lay the detailed accounts of the Repatriation Department as a Parliamentary Paper; whether he can say if any contractor or contractors who purchased stores from the South African Military Sales Department resold the material purchased to the Repatriation Department; and whether he can give the name or names of such contractors, if any, with particulars of the transactions involved.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. LYTTELTON, War 1325 wick and Leamington)

I have not received these detailed accounts, and do not propose to lay them before Parliament. I would point out that these accounts have undergone local inspection on the part of the Comptroller and Auditor-General in connection with the free grant of £3,000,000 to the burghers from the Imperial Parliament in addition to the local colonial audit. The Comptroller and Auditor-General's Report presented to Parliament on February 17th of this year contains the following sentence at page 480:—"The local inspection of the accounts proved that all expenditure had been duly authorised, and further that the colonial auditors had exercised a complete and satisfactory check over the records showing the receipts and payments of the Repatriation Departments. "I have now learned by telegraph, in reply to an inquiry, that in one case the Repatriation Department purchased hay from Wilson and Worthington which that firm had previously bought from the Army. The hay was bought at Maitland, Cape Town, and sold to the Repatriation Department, delivered at Pretoria West Station. These are all the particulars I have received.

DR. MACNAMARA;

Can the right hon. Gentleman say what the prices were?

MR. LYTTELTON

I have given the hon. Member all the particulars I have.

DR. MACNAMARA

I would ask the right hon. Gentleman whether the expenditure of these £3,000,000 is not to come before Parliament in any way whatever?

MR. LYTTELTON

If it is desired to raise the subject on the Colonial Vote I am sure it would be quite germane.

DR. MACNAMARA

Is the Colonial Secretary not prepared to lay before Parliament any statement giving a detailed account of the expenditure of this money.

MR. LYTTELTON

No, Sir, it is not usual to do so. The accounts have been thoroughly audited out in South Africa.

SIR. H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN (Stirling Burghs)

The right hon. Gentleman says that these accounts have been audited in South Africa. But it is something more than a mere question of audit. It is a question of informing the House of Commons how the money has been expended.

MR LYTTELTON

Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will put down a Question on the subject.

MR. LOUGH (Islington, W.)

Is the House of Commons, which has voted these £3,000,000, not to receive some information as to how it has been expended?

MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)

Will not the audit to which the right hon. Gentleman refers really explain the expenditure of the money?

MR. LYTTELTON

I think so.

MR. SWIFT MACNEILL (Donegal, S.)

asked whether the right hon. Gentleman would make an inquiry from Lord Milner with reference to this contract—if he knew where Lord Milner was?

MR. LYTTELTON

replied that he had no desire, and no intention himself, to refer any point to Lord Milner, but if the hon. Member wished some definite matter referred to Lord Milner he would consider it.

DR. MACNAMARA

Will the right hon. Gentleman indicate how a Member of this House may ascertain how this money, voted by the Imperial Parliament, has been expended?

MR. LYTTELTON

I believe, in fact I have no doubt, that the accounts have been fully delivered in South Africa, and I imagine that, without making them a Parliamentary Paper, they are accessible.

DR. MACNAMARA

Do I understand that the right hon. Gentleman suggests that I am to go to South Africa to see them?

SIR A. HAYTER (Walsall)

was understood to say that the whole of the accounts had been audited by the local auditors and by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, who had given a Report to the Public Accounts Committee. That Report would be laid before the House.