§ Mr. BRIDGEMANasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the status of membership of the Committee of Imperial Defence carries the right to be notified of and to attend every meeting of the Committee; and will he say who are at present the oversea members of that Committee?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs explained in an answer to a question on 5th April, the Committee of Imperial Defence consists of the Prime Minister, with such other Members as—having regard to the 432 nature of the subject to be discussed—he may from time to time summon to assist him. It follows from this that attendance on a particular occasion carries no right to be notified of subsequent meetings or to attend them, and that there are no permanent oversea Members of the Committee. The recent meetings of the Committee were not the first which have been attended by representatives of the oversea Dominions, and there is no reason to suppose that they will be the last.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the oversea Ministers who lately attended meetings of the Committee of Imperial Defence on the invitation of the Prime Minister were invited to attend as members of the committee or as visitors for that occasion only?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs ordinary members in the sense of the answer to the previous question.