§ 48. Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Prime Minister whether he can state exactly the authority and functions of the recently-appointed Surveyor-General of Supplies 2226 to the War Office; whether he is responsible for finance; if so, what is the present position of the Financial Secretary to the War Office; whether the Surveyor-General of Supplies is responsible to this House; who he is and where he came from; and on whose recommendation or at whose instance he was appointed?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONI would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave on the 19th instant to a similar question put by the hon. Member for West Bradford. The exact relationship of the Surveyor-General of Supply to the Financial Secretary is under consideration at the present time, with a view to defining their respective responsibilities in such a manner as, inter alia, to preserve the latter's Ministerial responsibility to this House.
§ Mr. PRINGLEBefore making that appointment did the Government consider what the gentleman appointed was going to do?
§ Mr. MacVEAGHWho is this gentleman? What previous experience had he to justify his being put over the heads of members of the Government who were in charge of that work?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONMy hon. Friend the Financial Secretary explained all the circumstances of the case when introducing the Army Estimates.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHCan my hon. Friend not tell me the name of his own countryman who has been appointed?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONYes- Mr. Andrew Weir.