§ The Treasury may issue out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and apply towards making good the supply granted to His Majesty for the service of the years ending on the 31st day of March, 1910–11, the sum of £476,815 11s. 8d.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."
§ Mr. JAMES HOPEI was a little surprised yesterday at the somewhat imprudent remark of the Prime Minister that no one had ever found it possible to talk at length on the Committee stage of the Consolidated Fund Bill. I will not say all that I might and could say upon it, but I wish to ask the Financial-Secretary to the Treasury whether the words "services of the years" ending 31st March, 1910, and 31st March, 1911, arise out of the abnormal situation which occurred at the end of the last financial year, or whether they are inserted merely in order to put right the somewhat mysterious and recondite matter known as "Excess Votes?" Why should we now be setting out in the Consolidated Fund sums not only with regard to the financial year ending 31st March this year but also for the year before?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Hobhouse)The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well that an "Excess Vote" has reference not to the finance of the past year but of the year previous to that. Therefore, it is quite 789 right to charge the sums on the "Excess Votes" in the way we have done.
§ Question put, and agreed to.