§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSE (Bristol, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he has received the Report of the Inspector-General of the Forces for 1904; and whether he intends to lay that Report before Parliament.
§ THE SECRETARY or STATE FOR WAR (Mr. ARNOLD-FORSTER, Belfast, W.)The Report in question has been received by the Army Council, but it is not intended to make it public.
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSEWill the right hon. Gentleman give the House a summary of the Report?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERNo, Sir, a summary of the Report might be misleading, and will not be published, nor can a promise be given to publish the Report at a future time.
§ MR. CHARLES HOBHOUSEThen is this important Report never to be published in any shape or form?
§ MR. ARNOLD-FORSTERThe essence of a Report of this kind is that it should not be made public.