§ I pass to forecast the prospects of the now financial year, and here I will deal with expenditure first. The anticipated expenditure on Imperial account for the year 1906–7 is £141,786,000—;that is a diminution of £246,000 on the Budget provision for the preceding year. Then we have to add £9,835,000, the anticipated contribution to local taxation. The two together make a total of £151,621,000 for the year 1906–7, against a Budget provision of £151,788,000 for 1905–6. A further estimated expenditure of £6,500,000, chargeable against capital, I will reserve for later treatment. I have very little to say about this estimated expenditure. The estimates are not in any way the work of the present Government. Coming into office, as we did, in the month of December, and much occupied during January with the general election, my colleagues presiding over the spending departments could not, with the best will 285 in the world, do much to recast the expenditure of the country. The total diminution in the Supply services is £311,000. The Supply services were estimated, in round figures, to cost for this year £111,000,000—;a gigantic and, in my opinion, an excessive sum. I hope and believe, from what I know of the intentions and the zeal of my colleagues, that, if it is my fortune twelve months hence to submit the national accounts again, I shall be able to announce, without any weakening in the national services, a substantial saving under these heads.