§ DR. MACNAMARA (Camberwell, N. )I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is satisfied that full inquiry has been made into each of the 1370 cases mentioned in pages 112 to 125, inclusive, and page 242 of the Appropriation Account, 1903–4 [Command 45], under which a sum of £201, 815 6s. 3d. has had to be written off as irrecoverable on account of losses consequent on fraud or otherwise during the war in South Africa.
§ DR. MACNAMARAI beg also to ask the Secretary of State for War why it was not ascertained before the 59, 000 war medals, afterwards returned to the Mint and broken up, were struck for issue to natives in South Africa after the war, that the issue of these medals would involve, as stated on page 227 of the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General [Command 45] racial objections.
§ CAPTAIN NORTON (Newington, W. )At the same time may I ask the Secretary of State for War if he can state where the ammunition referred to in the Ordinance Store Accounts Return from South Africa was manufactured, of which over 50, 000, 000 rounds were received in an imperfect or doubtful condition; and what steps have been taken in connection with this ammunition; and what is its total value.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThese three Questions deal with matter arising from the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General on the accounts for 1903–4. These matters will come before the Public Accounts Committee and I am not, therefore, prepared to discuss them at the present time.
§ DR. MACNAMARAMay I ask whether the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General is not now before Parliament, and whether the final Report of the Public Accounts Committee, which we await, was not issued last year after Parliament rose?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERI do not dispute the facts. But I say it is in accordance with precedent for these matters to be dealt with by a Committee of the House, and I must reserve anything I have to say upon them.
§ SIR HENRY FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E. )Is not the War Office itself going to investigate these matters?
§ MR ARNOLD-FORSTERYes, the War Office has already investigated them. The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General, with the complaints renewed, was received only a few days ago, but long anterior to that the War Office instituted an investigation.
§ DR. MACNAMARAWill there be an opportunity of discussing the Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General this session.
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERI cannot give a more precise Answer. I am simply following the course dictated by precedent and the one I believe to be most acceptable to the House and most respectful to the House. The Public Accounts Committee investigated these matters, and they are now sub judice. It would be very wrong on my part to withdraw from the consideration of the Public Accounts Committee matters which are definitely referred to them by the custom and practice of the House.
§ DR. MACNAMARAMay I ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether it will be in order for me to ask the Prime Minister the Question which the Secretary of State says he cannot answer—whether any opportunity will be given to the House of discussing the finding of the Public Accounts Committee on the Report.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Member asked the Prime Minister that Question yesterday.
§ DR. MACNAMARAWith great respect, no, Sir. What I asked was whether the Prime Minister would give facilities for the discussion of the notice of Motion on the Paper.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe Question is practically the same.
§ CAPTAIN NORTONIs it not a fact that seven months elapsed before there was any reply—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order! Notice must be given of any further Question. The right hon. Gentleman has stated, in 1372 reply to the Question on the Paper, he does not consider that under the circumstances he is justified in saying anything further. The hon. Member is not entitled to argue upon it.