HC Deb 08 May 1913 vol 52 cc2207-8
20. Mr. GINNELL

asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he will say what members of the Board of Treasury were present on the 10th July, 1912, and concurred in giving authority to the Bank of England to resist the Bowles claim; whether the Comptroller and Auditor-General has been furnished with their names; whether that official's attention has been directed to the fact that the authority was to resist what was then known to be, and what the Court held to be, the law; and if he will obtain from the Comptroller and Auditor-General for this House a report on this expenditure and an explanation of how he differentiates the case of the Board of Treasury from that of local authorities, who are in every instance surcharged for expenditure incurred on their authority in resistance to the law?

Mr. MASTERMAN

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on Tuesday last. The action was taken on the collective responsibility of the Board of Treasury. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative. The Comptroller and Auditor-General will make such report in due course as he thinks fit.

Mr. GINNELL

The right hon. Gentleman has not answered whether the Comptroller and Auditor-General has got the names of the members of the Board of Treasury who were present on that occasion.

Mr. MASTERMAN

I could not answer that. The action of the Board of Treasury is always collective responsibility.

Mr. GINNELL

Will the right hon. Gentleman explain to the House now how the Comptroller and Auditor-General can surcharge Members of the Board of Treasury if he has not got their names?

Mr. MASTERMAN

I have no legal knowledge of the facts, but if any surcharge was to be made on the Board, I suppose it would be made on the Board as a whole.

Mr. GINNELL

May I ask whether it is a fact that the Treasury exercise a check upon local authorities for irregular payments, and whether there is no check by the Comptroller and Auditor-General on the Treasury as a spending Department?

Mr. MASTERMAN

The Comptroller and Auditor-General reports to this House, through the Public Accounts Committee, irregularities, if any, which the Treasury may have carried on, and then it is for this House to decide what action they will take in the matter.

Mr. GINNELL

Irregularities have been discovered——

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member is not entitled to make a statement.

Mr. GINNELL

Will the right hon. Gentleman say on what occasions the Comptroller and Auditor-General has reported the irregularities he has found?

Mr. SPEAKER

The hon. Member must give notice of that question.

Mr. GINNELL

I shall do so.