§ 17. Mr. OUTHWAITEasked the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has received from Mr. Hoover, of the American Committee of Relief for Belgium, an estimate of the material damage done in Belgium by the German invasion and of the number of houses destroyed; if so, will he state what the estimate is; and if he has not received such a report will he take steps to obtain it?
§ Lord R. CECILThe answer to all parts of this question is in the negative.
§ Mr. OUTHWAITEHas the Noble Lord received no information at all from this Committee? Is he not aware that the chairman of this Committee estimated that the restoration of Belgium would only cost the expenditure of a few days by this country on the War?
§ Lord R. CECILI have no doubt that the Committee rightly consider it outside the scope of their work and incompatible with carrying it on satisfactorily to report on such a subject.