§ 65. Mr. GEORGE THORNEasked the Prime Minister whether he is aware that the War Office now proposes to refuse or postpone answers to questions put by members of the public; if so, whether this decision has his sanction?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the WAR OFFICE (Mr. Forster)My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply. As I explained last Wednesday in reply to a question by the hon. Member for Central Southwark, I have in the interests of economy given directions for very drastic reductions of the staff, and in view of the fact that the volume of correspondence is still some 40 per cent, higher than it was at the time of the Armistice I have felt it necessary to warn the public that a point must be reached when the depleted staff will be unable to cope with all the work placed upon them, and the less urgent business will have to be postponed and the less important abandoned. Though I am satisfied that the staff will continue to make every effort to respond to all the calls upon them, I am afraid that delays must prove inevitable, and I hope that the House and the public will make allowances accordingly.