§ COLONEL KENYON-SLANEY (Shropshire, Newport)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he can conveniently communicate to the House the series of questions which he has put before the Committee appointed to advise the Army Council on the formation of a new Army; whether he can also communicate the series of questions submitted to the Committee by the chairman; and whether the two sets of questions are identical or supplementary to one another.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Mr. HALDANE, Haddington)I not think that any good purpose would be served by communicating to the House at the present time the series of questions now being put to the Committee to which the hon. and gallant Member alludes. The questions now being submitted by the Chairman are identical with those which I put before the Committee.
§ COLONEL KENYON-SLANEYAm I to understand that the questions being put bear upon a scheme formulated by the right hon. Gentleman himself or by the Army Council, or by some irresponsible reformer?
§ MR. HALDANEThey specifically refer to matters which were outlined when 1409 I addressed the House in presenting the Army Estimates.
§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)Is my right hon. friend aware that in two newspapers long accounts have been published recently of what has got out, and, that being so, does he not think it would be better to make a real publication?
§ MR. ARNOLD FORSTER (Croydon)As it appears that these questions have been communicated to, at least two newspapers, and are moreover in the possession of some hon. Members, would it not be more convenient that the whole House should have the advantage of seeing the documents?
§ MR. HALDANEI certainly do not think so. The House will be furnished with full information when the work is done. It is very inconvenient to make partial statements now. As to what has appeared in the newspapers I know nothing, nor do I know how it got there. I think it is very likely that, like many other things in newspapers, it is inaccurate.