§ 68. Mr. MacVEAGHasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the appointment of a Surveyor-General of Supplies in the War Office is the result of suggestions from the War Office or from the War Cabinet; whether he can state what 2583 necessity arose for such an appointment; whether the Director of Contracts will be under the jurisdiction of the Surveyor-General; if so, how either of them can be made directly responsible to Parliament; and what special qualifications or experience in finance are possessed by the Surveyor-General which justify his superseding the Financial Secretary to the War Office?
§ Mr. MACPHERSONA post of this kind was discussed by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister when he was Secretary of State for War and my Noble Friend the present Secretary of State; and when my Noble Friend became Secretary of State the discussions continued and a decision -arrived at. The appointment arises from the necessity of creating a new authority to enable pace to be kept with the increasing volume and complexity of the commercial side of the work of supplying the military forces. The Surveyor-General has taken over control of the Contract Department, with a view to securing close cooperation between this Department and the other supply branches. My Noble Friend the Secretary of State for War is satisfied that Mr. Andrew Weir, who has been appointed to be Surveyor-General, has acquired during a successful business career of many years the necessary experience to enable him to cope adequately with the duties and responsibilities of the position. He is responsible to the Secretary of State, who is represented in this House, in this as in other Departments of War Office administration by myself and my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHMay I ask the Leader of the House, as this is a Government question, whether this decision to appoint a civilian to supersede the Financial Secretary to the War Office is a decision of the War Cabinet or is it the decision of the War Office only. In either case, is there any reason for the appointment of a Gentleman who is not responsible to this House, and who will supersede a Gentleman who is responsible to this House for his Department; and whether there is any reason for superseding the Financial Secretary to the War Office in view of the fact that he is one of the most courteous members of the Government?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThe decision was taken by the Secretary of State for War, 2584 but with the knowledge of the Cabinet. I do not at all assent to the hon. Member's statement that this is meant in any way to supersede the Financial Secretary to the War Office, who is not only one of the most courteous, but in my opinion one of the most able members of the Government. It simply means that the work was of a kind which had to be dealt with, and in the opinion of the War Secretary and of the Cabinet, this Gentleman is well qualified for that position.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman to tell the House—have the Government by this action taken away jurisdiction which has hitherto been exercised by the Financial Secretary to the War Office, and how is the House going to exercise authority over the Gentleman who is now appointed to discharge duties formerly discharged by the Financial Secretary?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWIt must be obvious to the House that the nature of the business which has to be done in the way of contracts is so different from anything that happened before the new measures had to be taken. It is not a question of a change of authority. Everyone is under the Secretary of State for War, and he is represented by Gentlemen here who speak for him.
§ Mr. MacVEAGHWill the right hon. Gentleman tell me whether this new Gentleman to be brought here from Scotland will be subject to the Financial Secretary and the Financial Secretary of the Department?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI really do not know—
§ Mr. MacVEAGHYou do not know?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWThey are all subject to the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State for War, who is responsible in all these matters.
Sir H. DALZIELCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether it is the case that Mr. Weir has already saved the country over a million per week?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI cannot name any figure, but I am satisfied that an arrangement of that kind is the best that can be made in the direction of saving public money.