§ VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH (Maidstone)To ask the Secretary of State for War if he will state the number, composition, and estimated cost of the various Committees which have reported to the War Office in 1906–7.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Haldane.) The total number of Committees, other than Standing Committees, which have reported during the months from April, 1906, to March, 1907, is twenty-four. It is not practicable to state, in answer to a Question, the composition of these Committees, but generally it may be said that they have been composed of military and civil officials of the War Office, of officers serving on the staff or in regiments, of members of other public Departments and, in some cases, of persons having no official position. An estimate of the cost of these Committees cannot be given. No extra expense to Army Votes is involved by the service of members of this or other public Departments on these Committees. The chief items of extra expense, would consist in the travelling allowance and railway expenses of members who have to come to London to attend the Committees, and of the pay- merits which are made for attendance to officers on half-pay and retired pay, and to officers serving on special scientific Committees and, on rare occasions, to civilian experts specially employed. The payments to officers and to civilian experts under this head are, however, inconsiderable in amount in any given financial year.