§ 52. Mr. DOUGLAS HALLasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the decision of the Government to invite the Overseas Dominions to send Ministers who should represent them on the Commit tee of Imperial Defence, the Government are prepared to invite representatives of the Opposition for the time being in Parliament to attend the meetings of that 611 body when matters of vital import to the Empire are concerned, so that the decisions of the Committee on those subjects may represent the views not only of all parts of the Empire, but of all parties in the State?
§ The PRIME MINISTERIt has not hitherto been considered advisable to summon to the Committee any politician who was not for the time being responsible for the conduct of affairs in some part of the Empire. But I do not think that this limitation necessarily applies to the Sub-Committees which from time to time investigate particular problems and report upon them to the Committee.
§ 42. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked whether it was decided at the last Imperial Conference that a Defence Committee should be established in each Dominion and kept in close touch with the Committee of Imperial Defence at home; and, if so, whether any such Committee has yet been established?
Mr. HARCOURTThe proposal that a Defence Committee should be established in each Dominion was accepted in principle at the Conference of 1911. The constitution of these Committees is a matter for each Dominion to decide, and the various Governments have the matter before them. I drew attention to it in my dispatch of 10th December, printed in Cd. 6560.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEDo I understand that no intimation has ever yet been received from the Dominion Governments to this effect?